Mermaid and Beauty
by Yoshi's Best Pal
Summary: After she loses everything she holds dear, Belle Cartier flees to a new country to start over. Meanwhile, Ariel, a young mermaid, is out to prove to her father that humans are not all bad. The two women are set on a collision course that will forever change both lives. But will they change for better...or for worse? AriBelle, beta read by Crazy Cat Lady. Feedback appreciated!
1. Chapter 1: A Chance Encounter

**Infinity Entertainment Presents**

An Insanity Works Production

_A Luke Lynch Story_

_**Mermaid and Beauty**_

**Chapter 1: A Chance Encounter**

"I don't want to have anything to do with him!"

These words, full of pain and anger, echoed through the mostly empty castle as a beautiful young woman grabbed her cloak and made tracks for the nearest door, which would take her to a walkway where her faithful horse, Philippe, was awaiting the next set of orders.

With chocolate-brown hair flowing through the air and eyes colored almond that were streaked with tears, the young woman jumped on Philippe's back and cried, "Take me back to Papa!" Always eager to obey, Philippe, knowing the way home, immediately reared up on his hind legs and galloped off through the snow-covered forest.

The snow was bright and purest white, making the trail easy to see, even in the pitch-black night which had now completely overtaken them. The moonlight was hitting the snow at an angle that gave it an almost supernatural glow. Had she not been in such a horrid emotional state-she had just been driven out of the castle by a Beast who had never truly learned how to love, and was now scared, hurt, and infuriated beyond any level she had ever been comfortable with-she would have slowed down and taken the time to appreciate the ethereal beauty that was now staring her in her face.

As it was, she took no notice, lost in the torrent of pure emotion raging through her and threatening to drown her at the very core of her being. Surprisingly, she found herself wanting nothing more than to give in to the flood and allow oblivion to consume her.

Belle Cartier was not a woman who often found herself dealing with anything like this.

A bookworm by nature, she possessed an innate curiosity and love of fantasy that was thought of as strange by all in her home: a poor, small provincial town in rural France. The town only held about a hundred people at the moment, so it wasn't considered important enough to warrant an official name.

Belle knew full well that she was gossiped about so much solely due to her odd nature. Wait, strike that. If she hadn't been blessed with such drop-dead-gorgeous good looks, the townspeople would have paid her no mind whatsoever.

But her blessing was also a curse: There was one man in the town who was always dogging her footsteps, never giving her a moment's peace: Gaston Cousteau. The young man was the most handsome man in town and the best hunter in, possibly, all of France. Women wanted desperately to be with him, even if only for one night, and men would have gladly given up everything they had just to be him.

Belle was the only one who saw him for what he was: a prissy, arrogant, pompous, and overall undesirable creep who only viewed her as an object; nothing more than a trophy wife. She didn't want to be a trophy wife; hell, the only kids she planned on having were _possibly_ by adoption. Least of all did she want Gaston in her life in any way, shape, or form, and certainly not as her husband. The very thought disgusted her all the way down to her bone marrow, and she gave an involuntary shudder of revolt.

The only one even remotely affiliated with Gaston that she may have been able to imagine herself being with in any capacity was Lefou, Gaston's right-hand "yes" man...and Belle was pretty sure he was gay. Not that she saw anything wrong with that, oh, no. Belle was of a progressive brain, a forward-thinking mind, and if she were honest with herself, she wished Lefou the best of luck in finding his true love.

Which was also what Belle wanted the most out of her life: To find her true love, and to spend the rest of her days in his (or her, as the case might have ended up) company. It mattered little to Belle whether she ended up with a man or a woman. A strong believer in the concept of freedom of love, Belle wished only to love truly and be truly loved in return.

Unfortunately, she was one of only two in town with this worldview, and it was becoming clearer and clearer to her by the day that she would not find her true love in this poor provincial town.

She was drawing very near to her home now, and her thoughts turned to her father, Maurice, an aging inventor who had spent decades trying to prove his worth to the townsfolk. Most people liked him well enough, but thought of him as little more than a doddery old crackpot. Harmless, to be certain, for Maurice wouldn't hurt a fly, and everyone knew this, but a crackpot nonetheless.

_Just you wait,_ thought Belle proudly as she crossed the town line. _He'll show you all!_ And she pictured Maurice's latest invention, which he had built and fine-tuned for the past year, sometimes even forgetting to eat. It was intended to be used for painting houses, but all it had successfully painted thus far was Maurice, black with smoke and ash, and on multiple occasions. However, according to Maurice, all he needed was a way to iron out a few kinks, and he would be ready to present it at the upcoming town fair, which started in about two days' time.

As Belle rounded a corner and her farm home finally came into view, she saw a cart out near the entry path with her father's invention on top of it. The invention, which resembled nothing so much as a jet black furnace with hoses, was tightly secured to the cart via a series of ropes. Belle could think of only one reason Maurice would have loaded the cart.

_He's done,_ she thought excitedly. _He got it working! I'm so proud of him!_ Using the reins, she urged Philippe to go faster, and it was only a matter of seconds before she reached the front door.

When she walked inside, there was Maurice, eagerly chowing down on a heaping helping of his favorite dish, spaghetti and meatballs. (It was mainly Maurice's favorite because it was the only one he knew how to make. Belle did most of the cooking, and she immensely enjoyed it, but Maurice could make some mean meatballs when left to his own devices.)

As if a jolt of electricity coursed through him, his face jerked up from his dinner, and he quickly turned to regard the visitor. When he saw Belle, he grew a jovial grin filled with joy and happiness at the knowledge that his daughter was home safe and sound.

"Oh, my dear, sweet, beautiful, beloved daughter!" he cried as he ran at Belle and ensconced her in the biggest hug he could muster. "I've missed you so!" His voice was scratchy and a little whiny, and he was also a little hoarse. But at the same time, there was a slight, somewhat mellifluous quality to his speech, almost like he was trying to hit that one insanely high note in his favorite song, but couldn't quite get there.

"I've missed you as well, Papa," Belle gushed into his shoulder, and kissed her father's cheek.

"Did you see the things I saw at that castle?" asked Maurice eagerly.

"Oh, everything and more!" she revealed in wonder. "Talking and singing furnishings and dinnerware, a library beyond my wildest dreams, and amazing food...If only the Beast hadn't been such a...well, a Beast, I'd probably still be there!"

"Oh," said Maurice quietly, "you got on his bad side, eh?"

"And I was only trying to help him!" answered Belle, a hint of anger creeping its way into her words.

"Some people simply don't want to be helped," said Maurice wisely, running his hand through his flyaway white hair. "Those people, you simply got to say, 'OK, it's your lookout.'"

"Which is, in essentials, what I did," agreed Belle. "But I'm going to miss the wait staff: Lumiere, Cogsworth, Mrs. Potts and Chip..."

"Oh, I loved Cogsworth," laughed Maurice. "He was the only one who had enough time for a nice chat."

"Speaking of nice chats," urged Belle, "it's time we had one. Tell me how you fixed the paint sprayer."

"Oh," Maurice began, "but of course, my dear! Please, pull up a seat; there's much to say! Help yourself to some dinner, as well; you must be starving. Now, it started when I noticed that one of the gears was a bit too small..."

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"And then I fired her up and she worked like a charm!" finished Maurice.

"I knew you'd come through, Papa," praised Belle. "You're going to steal the show at the fair."

"Oh," said Maurice modestly, "I don't know about 'stealing the show', but this will definitely make an impact!" He tried, and failed, to stifle a massive yawn as he finished speaking.

"OK, Papa," ordered Belle, though not unkindly, "time for bed. You've had a long, hard day; you need your rest."

"That I do," agreed Maurice. "But first, a bit of water, hmm?"

"If you insist," conceded Belle. "Shall I come with you?"

"Oh, no," declined Maurice gently. "I'll be fine. Besides, I'm not the only one who needs their beauty sleep."

"Pun intended?" asked Belle slyly with a raised eyebrow. Maurice, despite fully understanding the joke, replied with:

"Unintentional pun is unintentional." And he held up his palms in a gesture of surrender. "Anyway, off to bed with you, my child. I'll join you in Dream Land shortly."

"OK," joked Belle, "but the odds are low of us encountering Kirby." She giggled at the reference to a story she had read before her misadventures began, then made her way up to her bed. Before she could get there, though, she heard the sound of coughing coming from outside. She looked out a nearby window and saw Maurice doubled over. This in and of itself did not concern Belle, for Maurice was prone to coughing fits in his old age and line of work. What she saw and what she heard, however, made for two entirely different stories. Maurice sounded like he was fixing to hack up both of his lungs...and then, after putting something in his pocket, Belle saw him take two more steps towards the spigot...and collapse.

Belle was outside in two shakes of a lamb's tail. She ran to Maurice and almost fell on top of him.

"Papa, are you OK?!" she cried, worried. She turned him on his back, quickly, but gently.

"I...don't...know...Belle..." Maurice gasped hoarsely. "Doctor...Please..." And he resumed coughing anew. His arm automatically shot up in front of his mouth, protecting Belle from whatever may have flown from it. Belle instantly reached into Maurice's pocket and found a handkerchief. Upon opening it up, she saw that it was covered in blood...her father's blood.

The next thing Belle knew, she was on Philippe with her father draped across her lap, galloping at full speed towards the nearest doctor, which, thankfully, mercifully, was not very far away.

_Please let him be OK,_ pleaded Belle silently. _Please don't let him die. Not after all we've been through together..._

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"You were right to get him here as quick as you did, Mademoiselle," praised the doctor, "and I wish I had better news to deliver. But..."

"Is he going to make it?" asked Belle anxiously. "Will he need surgery? Can you save him?"

"Alas," said the doctor apologetically, "if only my news were even that good. His coughing fit wrenched his heart muscle so badly that it ripped open, causing serious internal bleeding. The blood seeped into his lungs through tiny holes brought on by his other coughing fits. He was doomed from the moment he collapsed...there's nothing more I can do, except make sure his passing is as pain-free as possible. I humbly extend my sincerest apologies and condolences," he finished sadly.

Belle was in shock. Nearly catatonic, she slowly nodded to the doctor and croaked, "May I say my goodbyes?"

"Of course, Miss Cartier," acquiesced the doctor. "Who am I to deny somebody their last moments with a loved one?" And he tenderly led Belle to where Maurice lay, desperately clinging to life.

"Papa?" she asked hesitantly as the doctor walked away. Maurice stirred at the word, and his eyes found Belle.

"Oh, my daughter," he whispered. "Please, come to me..." And he extended his arms towards Belle, who staggered towards him, almost as if in a drunken stupor. When she drew near enough to him, she collapsed to her knees, and he embraced her warmly. Well, as warmly as is possible when one of you is at death's door.

"Papa..." she cried into his shoulder, tears beginning to flow from her soft brown eyes. "How are you feeling?"

"Better than I have in years," Maurice replied with all honesty. "The glory of Heaven is calling me, and I get to see my daughter one last time before I am admitted into the most amazing place in existence..."

"You won't die," Belle lied, her voice cracking and quavering, though she managed a small, sad smile. "The doctor says you're going to pull through this just fine."

"You never could lie to save your life," chuckled Maurice. "I guess I did a good job with you after all."

"You did beautifully, Papa," agreed Belle, her smile breaking.

"Pun intended?" Maurice asked, winking slowly.

Belle, feeling her own heart break in two, replied haltingly:

"Un...Unin...Un-intentional pun is...Is...Is unintentional." She could not prevent a sob from passing her lips at this point.

"Do not..." Maurice struggled to talk. "Do not...weep...for me. I can see...your...your mother," he added, his eyes widening. "She's...she's so...so proud...of us..."

And then, with a little shudder, Maurice Cartier became quite still, and his eyes turned into little more than small glassy orbs, sprinkled with light shining in through a nearby window from the stars they could not see.

"Papa?..._Papa?!_" cried Belle. She continued to mouth the word for several seconds afterwards, even though she knew her beloved father had now gone where she could not call him back.

The doctor came walking back into the room, having heard Belle's cry out for Maurice. Belle was now backed up against the wall with waterfalls for eyes, and the now lifeless body of her father was lying right where the doctor had left it.

"Miss Belle," he said gently, "if there is anything you require of me..."

"Your shoulder...would...be...be nice," stammered Belle in between quiet sobs. Immediately, the doctor opened his arms, and Belle collapsed into them, letting the tears...and the sobs...flow freely. The doctor fought back his own tears as he held Belle close, her body shaking with pain, grief, and anguish as she mourned the loss of the only person in her home village who had truly loved and cared for her.

It never got any easier, watching a patient die and being powerless to prevent it.

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Word traveled quickly in the poor provincial town, and all too soon, everybody in the village was offering Belle their condolences for Maurice's death. Belle, sensing the sincerity in their words, gladly accepted all of it: their gifts, their stories, their hugs...some of them even kissed her cheek, male and female alike.

The only ones from whom she heard nothing were Gaston and his crew, for which she was very thankful. However, along toward evening on the second day after Maurice's death, she felt a tap on her hip. She turned around, but didn't see anyone. Then, she heard a familiar voice.

"Mademoiselle Cartier?"

She turned downward, towards the source of the voice...and saw Lefou with a bouquet of flowers.

"Oh, _bonsoir_, Lefou," she greeted. "Are those for me?"

"_Oui_," answered Lefou quietly. "So you'll always have a bit of your father nearby." It was only then that Belle looked at the flowers: fleur-de-lises, all of different colors. It was no secret around town that these had been Maurice's favorite flower, a passion which he had passed on to Belle.

"Oh, how sweet of you, Lefou," thanked Belle, tears beginning to well up in her eyes again.

"It was nothing," replied Lefou. "I just wish I could be of more help." With that, he kissed the top of her hand as best he could, gave as deep and respectful a bow as he could manage, and turned to leave. Before he could do so, though, Belle had him wrapped in a hug, flowers and all, and was burying her face into his shoulder.

"You've already been a bigger help than most of the people in this village," sobbed Belle into Lefou's vest. "Thank you so much."

"Glad to be of service," answered Lefou, once Belle had put him back down on terra firma and released her grip. "Oh, and don't expect to run into Gaston during the funeral."

"I won't," acknowledged Belle. "Thanks again."

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The funeral passed by in a blur for Belle. Before she knew it, she was dropping a blue fleur-de-lis onto Maurice's grave marker, which the local mason had carved free of charge for Belle:

_**Maurice Cartier**_  
_**May Your Legacy**_  
_**Live On In Glory**_

That night, she was thinking about way too many things, as she often did when in a right state, and a startling truth hit her: her father, until she met the Beast, had been the only thing keeping her in France. She wanted to be free, but she didn't want to leave while she still had something here. So, she made up her mind to go back to the Beast's castle and see if she could try again.

When Philippe stopped in front of the castle bridge, she saw two small figures standing in the middle. As she drew close to them, she recognized them as a candelabra and a small clock.

"Lumiere!" she called out to them. "Cogsworth!" They both stirred at the sound of their names.

"Mademoiselle!" called out Lumiere in his rich, thick French voice. "Come in, come in, we have much to discuss!" His words were friendly, but his tone was worrying.

"Is something wrong?" Belle asked with trepidation.

"You'd better come inside first," urged Cogsworth, who carried a slight British bent to his lilting, dulcet tones.

Inside, Belle saw all the castle servants looking very glum. She sat down at the coat rack. Mrs. Potts began pouring tea into Chip without a word.

"Something's happened, hasn't it?" guessed Belle, apprehensive.

"It'd probably be best if Mr. Lumiere explains it," said Chip sadly, hopping gently over to Belle.

"Lumiere..." pressed Belle.

"Not long after you left," Lumiere cut to the chase, "our liege complained of pain in his chest. We did an immediate examination, and..." Lumiere hesitated. Then... "it turns out he had suffered...a pulmonary embolism," he finished sadly.

Belle was confused.

"How did he develop a blood clot in the first place? Did he break a limb or something?" she asked.

"No, milady," chimed in Cogsworth. "He had thrombophlebitis. He needed an injection of Heparin every day to prevent a clot from forming."

"We all knew this," added Mrs. Potts. "But on this occasion, he had run out of stock. We were powerless to help him."

"But a thrombophlebitic blood clot doesn't usually travel anywhere unless..." Belle's voice trailed off in horror.

"_Oui, Mademoiselle,_" confirmed Lumiere. "He suffered a deeper venous thrombosis at the worst possible time."

"Did it kill him?" Belle asked haltingly, her eyes welling up again.

"The embolism? _Non_," answered Lumiere. "But that was only the beginning of Prince Benson's troubles."

Belle, registering the name, raised a perplexed eyebrow. However, that quickly fell back into place when she realized that Lumiere could only be referring to the Beast. Then and only then did the rest of that sentence catch up with her.

"You don't mean...You can't...This can't be happening..." breathed Belle, almost slipping into a comatose state.

"I wish it were not so," said Cogsworth, confirming Belle's fears. "The clot that caused the embolism...was not the only clot the Prince had developed. There was a second."

"And it went into..." Belle began, terrified.

"His lung proper," finished Mrs. Potts.

All the breath went from Belle's own lungs at that moment. The color was also gone from her face, leaving it chalk white. Belle's eyes also glazed over as she (figuratively) felt her brain implode and her heart disintegrate. Nobody needed to say anything else. Belle knew by the way this conversation was going what had happened to the Beast: The blood clot that had traveled to his lung...had claimed his life.

"Don't feel too bad for him," offered Chip. "He didn't suffer long; only about an hour and a half."

Inwardly, Belle was glad that the Beast's suffering was short-lived. But the fact still remained: There was nothing left for her in France; no reason for her to stay. Her father was dead. The Beast...no, Prince Benson...was dead. The townspeople, save for the bookshop owner, would never take any trouble to get to know her. She would forever be an outcast as long as she stayed here. And don't even get her _started_ on Gaston.

She could move into the castle; become a hermit. But no, that was not who Belle was. Belle liked to go out and see the sights; socialize with whoever would talk to her. Besides, the castle, as much as she loved it, was simply too big for her to be practical. There was only one option for her, no other choice, nothing for it.

Lumiere's voice interrupted her thoughts:

"So, with Prince Benson dead, we are confined to these forms for the rest of our natural lives. Not the fate we would have chosen for ourselves, but we've spent ten years like this; we know how to work with these bodies. We'll make the most of it."

Lumiere's voice was defeated, yet somehow hopeful, and it brought Belle almost completely back to herself.

"Is there anything I can do?" she asked gently. "Anything at all?"

"At the risk of being too forward, _ma chere,_" offered Lumiere, "you could take us on as your own."

"Wait, what?!" cried Belle, surprised.

"You heard the man," added Cogsworth, "or, rather, the candelabra: A servant is not whole without a soul to wait upon. Please, my dear...you're all we have." And he pressed his arms together at the tip, almost like he was praying.

Belle genuinely wanted to help them out, especially during this troubled time which was affecting all of them. But she simply had way too much to think about, and her little farm house just did not have enough room to spare for all of them.

_Unless..._

Belle considered the idea for a long while. Eventually, she managed to come to a decision. It was bold and risky, but if everything worked out the way she hoped against hope it would, it would be of great benefit to everyone.

"My dear friends," she began, "I extend my sincerest gratitude for your offer, and I humbly accept...on one condition."

"Oh," thanked Mrs. Potts, "just name it, dearie."

"There is nothing left for me in this country," admitted Belle. "Come away with me. We'll find a new country, a new home, and...hopefully...a new life."

"Of course, my dear lady," answered Lumiere without hesitation. "We'll leave as soon as you're ready."

"Wait!" cried out Cogsworth, ever the voice of reason. "We can't just go wandering pell-mell about Europe! We need a plan, we need to know where we're going before we get there!"

"Hey," offered Chip, "I overheard the Prince saying something about his...what was it...Oh, his lighthouse in England! He owns a lighthouse in England!"

"The Belle Tout Lighthouse?" asked Mrs. Potts. "Oh, that's a great idea, my boy!"

"Since when did Prince Benson own a lighthouse in England?" asked Belle, confused.

"Before he took on his princely duties," explained Lumiere, "Monsieur Benson loved to travel with what little family he had. The southern coast of England made an especially profound impact on him, and he purchased the lighthouse...and the cottage there...with a portion of his inheritance!" Lumiere finished with a flourish, as he realized what this meant.

Belle, too, had caught on.

"How big is the cottage?" she asked excitedly.

"Big enough for all of us, and with room for expansion if we feel so inclined!" chimed Cogsworth in an overjoyed voice.

"Any more questions, my dear?" asked Lumiere.

"Just one," admitted Belle. "How many carriages do you possess?"

"Enough to move the entire contents of this castle," answered Mrs. Potts.

"I don't think we'll need that much," mused Belle, "but that said, what are we waiting for? Let's g-" Belle stopped herself as a solemn realization hit her.

"Wait, doesn't Prince Benson still need a proper funeral?"

And all too soon, they were lowering the Beast's lifeless corpse into its final resting place and placing the mound of dirt as gently as was possible atop it. Belle placed the grave marker herself:

_**Prince Robert Benson  
**__**May Love Never Leave Your Heart**_

(Note from Author: The name "Robert", in the case of the Beast, is pronounced as "row-BEAR". I named him after his voice actor, Robby Benson.)

Several hours later, though it felt like no time at all to Belle, some select furnishings, to include the manservants, along with the entire contents of the library and kitchens, as well as a lot of the art that had been affixed to the castle walls, not to mention a small fortune in cash and jewels that they had found in a spare room, were all packed into the carriages. Belle snapped the reins on the four horses that were pulling the train, and they were off to England.

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It took a few days, but Belle and company finally arrived in England, in the harbor town of Eastbourne. She asked around town and quickly got herself approved for ownership and habitation of the Belle Tout Lighthouse and cottage by the local authorities. Heading west along the southern coastline of the city, she soon found it on South Downs Way: a white brick lighthouse of middling height with a small building next to it; no doubt this was where the lighthouse operators would have stayed. The actual cottage was across the street, towards the water, and just as Cogsworth had promised, it was quite sizable, easily with room enough for everything they had brought with them, and more. There was also a small beach in front of it with a dock and a rowboat that gave easy access to the open ocean.

(Note from Author: I am fully aware that the actual Belle Tout Lighthouse is A) situated atop a sheer cliff, and B) now being used as a bed and breakfast inn. But if I stuck to that, I wouldn't have a story, now would I? Anyways, enough with the fourth-wall breaking. On with the story!)

After walking through the house and figuring out where everything would go, the entire party set to work, and in no time at all, the move was finished. Belle brought three of the horses to a local stable, choosing to take Philippe home with her. She found a spot where the roof jutted out just enough that he would be protected from the rains, when they came, and tied him up there for nights.

Over the next few weeks, Belle got to know some of the Eastbourne residents, including the baker, the blacksmith, the fish merchant, the authorities, and, of course, the bookshop owner. Almost immediately, they showed themselves to be, more or less, just like the people in her old French home...with one notable exception: Nobody in town seemed to give two hoots about her bookish and aloof nature. They still gossiped about it, but only when they were out of topics to discuss. Also, as opposed to the snooty tones that were used back in France when she was the subject of discussion, these people chose a more curious tone, as if they actually wanted to know why she was the way she was.

Of course, though Belle never bothered to tell them this outright, all they needed to do was ask, and she'd happily fill them in. And some did ask, including a very old former sailor who refused to give out his name, but apart from that, was quite friendly and sociable. Often, he would regale her with a story or two from his sailing days...and when he did, Belle could feel the ocean fall and rise and see its rage and glory. She often caught herself lost in her imagination when he would tell these stories, and had to politely excuse herself in order to make it back home before her fish went bad.

She quickly learned, however, never to buy her fish until _after_ she had met the old man, and, in fact, came to look forward to these stories with a kind of feral excitement: Not only did his stories last quite a while and keep her interest the whole way through...he never seemed to run out of them. In all the time she knew him, she only heard one story more than once, and it was by her own request. She also caught herself wishing to go out on the water and create some of her own stories. Never on a full-size ship, though: Belle wanted the ocean all to herself, so to speak.

It never once occurred to her to ask for lessons of any kind, however, until one (as it would turn out) very fateful day.

She woke up that morning as she usually did, prepared to go about her daily routine. The sun was just coming up over the horizon, and the sky was beginning to turn its normal, beautiful blue. Belle expected her usual rounds: saying hi to the baker, stopping in at the bookshop for a new book, meeting the sailor for some stories, and then buying some foodstuffs before heading back home.

What Belle was not expecting, however, was an urge to sing a song this morning. Unable to stop herself, this is exactly what she did.

(Belle)  
_Harbor town  
__By the name of Eastbourne  
A routine_  
_Followed every day  
__Harbor town  
__Full of brand-new people  
__Waking up to say..._

"Good day!" called a man as he opened his window to let in the golden morning sun.

"Hello!" greeted another man as he walked past Belle.

"Good morning, ma'am!" said a woman as she sipped her morning tea.

"Good day!" chimed in the blacksmith as he ran past Belle to his stand. Belle started to wave to him, then she noticed the baker on his way to his own stand. Belle started heading in his direction, singing:

_There goes the baker with his tray, like always  
__The same old bread and rolls to sell  
Every morning just the same  
Since the morning that we came  
To this lovely harbor town_

"Good morning, Belle," greeted the baker as he arrived at his stand and finally took notice of Belle.

"Morning, Monsieur," answered Belle warmly.

"Where are you off to?" asked the Baker as he began to spread his stock out on his stand.

"The bookshop," answered Belle honestly. "I just finished the most wonderful story, about an elf boy and a talking red boat and..."

"That's nice," cut off the baker, though not unkindly. "Linda, the baguettes! Hurry up!"

Belle shrugged and resumed on her journey, heading in the direction of the bookstore. As she went on her way, she could hear a small group of women near the barbershop saying:

_Look, there she goes, that girl is strange, no question  
__Dazed and distracted, can't you tell?  
Never part of any crowd_

(Barber)  
_'Cause her head's up on some cloud_

(Barber and Women)  
_No denying she's a funny girl, that Belle_

"Hello," called a man driving a horse-drawn cart.

"Good day," replied a woman walking in the opposite direction; obviously a friend of the driver's.

"How is your family?" asked the driver, but he was too far away to hear her answer.

"Hello," greeted a woman in line at a kitchen needs stand.

"Good day," replied the man working the stand.

"How is your wife?" asked the woman in line. Unfortunately, said wife got very jealous when her husband talked to other women in any capacity at all. Said wife was also right behind her husband, holding a wooden rolling pin, which she used to whack him, hard, on the crown of his head.

"I need six eggs!" cried a woman who had brought along three crying babies to the poultry stand.

"That's too expensive," mused a man who was looking at jewelry for his loved one.

Belle heard all of this and couldn't stop herself from singing, just before she entered the bookstore:

_There must be more than this to seaside life!_

With that, she opened the door and a tiny bell chimed, alerting the bookkeeper to the visitor.

"Ah, Belle," he greeted happily. "You know, Mademoiselle Cartier, if not for you, I'd be out of business!"

"Good morning," laughed Belle, "and thank you. Anyway, I've come to return the book I borrowed." And she handed it to him. It was a thick, red book, with a picture of a young, elf-looking boy dressed in green holding a fancy-seeming stick of some sort, perhaps a conductor's baton. He was standing in a red boat that had a fierce, yet wise-looking face that also carried an air of gentility about it, somehow. The title of the book was stitched in gold thread below this picture: The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker.

"Finished already?" asked the book man, laughing.

"Oh, I couldn't put it down!" gushed Belle, moving towards the ladder attached to the nearest shelf. "Have you got anything new?"

"Oh, not since yesterday," admitted the book man with a chuckle.

"That's all right," answered Belle kindly, turning her gaze to the bookshelf. "I'll borrow..." And she scanned the shelf to see if anything leaped out at her. Very soon, her eyes fell on a book whose spine simply read: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. Belle's heart soared: this was her favorite in the Zelda series, and she had read them all, save for one: She had heard rumors that a new story had hit the shelves recently, but had yet to find a copy of it. All she had to go on was a name: Skyward Sword.

But for now, Twilight Princess would do quite nicely.

"This one," she said triumphantly as she pulled it from the shelf and handed it to the book man.

"That one?" he asked, looking at the title. Then, laughing, he added: "But you've read it twice!"

"Well," began Belle, "it's my favorite!" And indeed it was. "Far-off places, daring sword fights, magic spells, a princess in disguise! And not to mention a killer twist towards the end, with Midna!"

"Well," offered the book man, as he began to lead her towards the door, "if you like it all that much, it's yours."

"But, sir..." Belle began, overwhelmed by his generosity.

"No, please," the book man cut her off, "I insist!"

"Well, thank you!" exclaimed Belle gratefully. "Thank you very much!" And she walked towards the center of the square. A few people who were talking took notice of this and said:

(Men)  
_Look, there she goes; that girl is so peculiar  
__I wonder if she's feeling well_

(Women)  
_With a dreamy, far-off look_

(Men)  
_And her nose stuck in a book_

(All)  
_What a puzzle to the rest of us is Belle_

About now, Belle reached the benches in a small, grassy area in the center of the square, sat down on one of them, and saw the old sailor coming her way. She opened up the book to page sixty and said to him as he approached:

_Oh, isn't this amazing?  
__It's my favorite part because, my friend  
__Here's where he meets with Midna  
__But he won't discover who she is 'til near the end..._

A young woman who was doing business with the tailor saw this and noted:

_Now, it's no wonder that her name means "Beauty"  
Her looks have got no parallel_

(Tailor)  
_But behind that fair façade  
I'm afraid she's rather odd  
Very different from the rest of us  
_

(Townsfolk)  
_She's nothing like the rest of us  
__Yes, different from the rest of us is Belle_

"Well," began the old sailor in that classical sailor voice of his, "are you ready for story time with me today?"

"Actually," Belle suggested as a thought hit her, "I have another idea."

"Oh?" queried the sailor, surprised. "And what might that be?"

"Since you started telling me those stories of yours," revealed Belle, "something has awoken inside me: a desire to go out onto the ocean and see its majesty and wonder for myself."

"Would you be asking me for sailing lessons?" gasped the old man.

"Not necessarily," Belle explained quickly. "After all, I don't have access to a grand ship, and I hear that it's considered bad luck to bring a woman on board a sailing vessel."

"T'was in my day," affirmed the sailor. "I've been out of the water for quite some time, now, though, so I don't know what the norm is nowadays."

"I do, however," pressed Belle, "have a rowboat in my possession. Do you know anything about rowing?"

"My dear child," the old sailor laughed, "rowing is the first step in learning how to sail! You can't work a big ship if you don't know how to work the lifeboats!"

"So you'll teach me rowing?" asked Belle excitedly.

"My dear," began the old man, "let me tell you something I've never told anyone else: I was diagnosed with lung cancer not long ago. Stage 4, nothing they can do about it."

"I take it you were a smoker in your younger days?" tried Belle, a slight bit disgusted.

"Two packs a day whenever I wasn't sailing," admitted the sailor. "Not proud of it, but there you go. Anyway, when a dying man holds information that he considers to be of any importance at all, there is nothing he seeks more-"

"Than to pass it on?" offered Belle.

"Correct!" shouted the old man joyfully. "So, please, allow me to fulfill this dying wish. We start today."

"Of course!" thanked Belle, wrapping the old man in a hug. "Meet me at the Belle Tout Lighthouse pier this afternoon?"

"It's a date," laughed the old sailor, returning the hug, "pardon the expression."

Belle, feeling unabashed happiness welling up within herself, let loose the following:

_There's so much more than this to seaside life_

(Sailor)  
_I'll pass my knowledge on before I die!_

As the townsfolk noticed that Belle and the sailor were going their separate ways, they all put their thoughts to voices:

_Look, there she goes; a girl who's strange but special  
__A most peculiar mademoiselle  
__All of France thought it was sin  
__That she didn't quite fit in  
__'Cause she really is a funny girl  
__A beauty but a funny girl  
__She really is a funny girl..._

_That Belle...!_

BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB

Later that day, just as planned, the sailor and Belle met on the dock for her rowing lessons. She took to it immediately, being a quick study thanks to her bookish nature, and was soon rowing, backwatering, pivoting...even handling a good, old-fashioned capsizing and swamping like a champ. Very soon, the sailor had nothing left to teach her: Belle was ready for solo rowing.

"There's a fireworks show taking place tonight over Eastbourne Harbor," he informed her. "The view from the water is especially spectacular."

"I'll be sure to check it out," promised Belle. "How about you?"

"Oh, I can't," he said regretfully. "I have to return to the hospice and get an update on how long I have to live."

"Oh..." said Belle as she remembered the man's lethal cancer. "Well, however long you have left to live, I hope you enjoy it to the fullest."

"You've allowed me to do that today for the first time in a long time," revealed the sailor, "and for that, I am forever in your debt. However, I must go soon. You up for a story before I leave?"

"Ooh, yes," gushed Belle, "always!" And she sat down on the pier cross-legged. The sailor did likewise and then began his story.

"About twenty years ago," he started mysteriously, "there was a prince of Denmark; went by the name of Eric. I knew him well; he was a good man, a great friend, and a fine sailor. One day, we went out sailing these waters on a search for lost treasure..."

And the sailor went on to explain, in a way that only sailors can, that they had been caught in a storm, and Prince Eric was thrown overboard. When he could not be found during the night, he was unofficially presumed dead.

"Well, what happened?" pressed Belle, raptly interested.

"Hell if I know the exact details for certain," admitted the man, "but he turned out OK. His manservant found him on a beach the next morning, raving about some girl who had saved him."

"Who was she?" asked Belle.

"No one knows for sure," said the man softly, "but I have a theory. All he could remember about the woman was that she was singing when he came to and her voice was like the angels. To me, that says only one thing: His savior..." He paused for dramatic effect. "...was a mermaid."

The word stirred something in Belle's imagination. _Mermaids_...

"Aren't they the human/fish hybrids that save people from drowning?" she asked.

"You've heard of them," the sailor noted, impressed.

"Only insofar as the fairy tales about them," answered Belle. "There was one called _The Little Mermaid_ that my father used to tell me religiously; it was his favorite. Didn't really have the happy ending I was hoping for, though."

"No," agreed the sailor, being familiar with the story. "It didn't, and I felt so bad for the wee lass. Anyway, do you believe merfolk exist?"

"Not really," admitted Belle. "Most of the things I believe are based in proven fact."

"Well," advised the sailor, "believe what you want. I will say only this: Prince Eric had no shortage of suitors, and he rejected them all as politely as he could. Not three days after the storm, this redheaded mute woman comes along. Not much to say, but very easy on the eyes. The two of them were married before the month was out. Somehow, she ended up getting her voice back, and when she spoke, it sounded like little bells chiming. That's all I know."

It was, indeed, something for Belle to think about. She thanked the man for his time, and he respectfully bowed and took his leave. Putting those thoughts about merpeople aside for the moment, she readied her rowboat: The fireworks would be starting any minute, and Belle didn't want to miss any of it.

* * *

Unbeknownst to Belle, during that very same day, a young mermaid, the envy of all in her home of Atlantica, was swimming off to a hidden cavern with a fishy friend of hers. She had just come off being lectured...again...by her slightly misanthropic father, King Triton, on the so-called "evils" of the human world. Her fiery red hair floated along behind her as she cut a swath through the water, using her bright aqua tail to gain speed and turn quickly when needed. Had they not been underwater already, the fish...and the small red hermit crab that was following her, unseen...would have seen that her vivid, deep, true blue eyes were tear-streaked.

As she opened the door to her cavern, she got a little too close to the wall, distracted by her emotions and racing thoughts, and almost caught her purple seashell bra on a rock that was jutting out from said wall. (As if she needed that kind of embarrassment, though she knew the fish would likely not care.) She managed to clear it, though, and made her way into the cavern proper, which was filled to the brim, ledge by ledge, stalagmite by stalagmite, with treasures from the human world that she had recovered from the shipwrecks that littered the sea floor.

This mermaid, Ariel by name, the youngest of Triton's seven daughters, longed to see the wonders of the human world firsthand. Her innate curiosity about other places had sparked in her an almost overwhelming desire to become human, even if only for a day. This did not sit well with Triton, who repeatedly rebuked her every time she even mentioned the human world in passing. This, in turn, did not sit well with Ariel, who often had to remind him that she was sixteen; not a little child any longer. He did not take this well, either, and it often led to arguments like the one she had just come out of. Not that she did not love her father, goodness no. She did love him, and very dearly, too. It was just...he was so..._blind_ to what the human world had to offer.

She reflected on this, Ariel did, as she played with one of the many forks that she had collected over the course of many expeditions. The little fish, called Flounder, swam up to her slowly.

"Ariel," he asked gently, "are you OK?"

"If only I could make him understand," she replied softly, but sadly. Unseen, the crab (by the name of Horatio Felonius Ignatius Crustaceous Sebastian, better known simply by the last of his five names) had also entered the cave...and could only stare in shock and awe at the scene that unfolded before his very eyes.

"I just don't see things the way he does," admitted Ariel. "I don't see how a world that makes such wonderful things..." She indicated the treasures in the cave before turning to regard Flounder. "...could be bad," she finished. Then, in a voice that would have made the angelfish cry, she sang:

_Look at this stuff...Isn't it neat?  
__Wouldn't you think my collection's complete?_

She placed the fork in a candelabra nearby before continuing:

_Wouldn't you think I'm the girl  
__The girl who has...  
__Everything?_

She now started to slowly spin in place, regarding her impressive collection of relics.

_Look at this trove  
__Treasures untold  
How many wonders can one cavern hold?  
Lookin' around here, you'd think,  
"Sure...she's got everything"_

Ariel shrugged her shoulders before going off to the silverware and other gadgets.

_I've got gadgets and gizmos a-plenty_

Very quickly, she swam over to where the books and paintings were stored.

_I've got whozits and whatsits galore_

Then, she grabbed a box from the miscellaneous items and swam up to Flounder with it.

_You want thing-a-ma-bobs?  
__I got twenty._

And she proved it by opening the box, revealing approximately twenty objects which Flounder could only stare at.

_But who cares?_

Ariel sadly shut the box and put it down.

_No big deal  
__I want more..._

She looked skyward and extended her hand to the heavens before slipping into almost a daydream-like state.

_I wanna be...where the people are  
__I wanna see...wanna see 'em dancin'_

She swam over to a music box decorated with two porcelain ballet dancers, almost as if to emphasize her point.

_Walkin' around on those..._

"Whaddya call 'em?" she asked Flounder, who had been keeping pace with her. Then, the word hit her:

"Oh, feet." And Ariel gently grabbed Flounder's caudal fin with both hands and pulled on them to imitate walking. This was Flounder's tickle spot, and he could not suppress a small stream of giggles.

_Flippin' your fins, you don't get too far  
__Legs are required for jumpin', dancin'_

Ariel now took hold of Flounder by his wing fins (can't remember what their right name is to save my life) and imitated a dancing motion.

_Strollin' along down a..._

"What's that word again?" she asked herself. Then it came to her:

_Street_

Rising upwards the whole time, she continued:

_Up where they walk  
Up where they run  
Up where they stay all day in the sun  
_

_Wanderin' free  
__Wish I could be  
Part of that world_

She now let herself begin to float back down to the floor of the cavern.

_What would I give  
If I could live  
__Out of these waters?_

As she hit the floor, she made as if she was soaking up the rays of the sun on a beach.

_What would I pay  
__To spend a day  
__Warm on the sand?_

Then, she remembered another of her fantasies about the human world:

_Betcha on land  
__They understand  
__Bet they don't  
__Reprimand their daughters_

_Bright young women  
Sick of swimmin'  
Ready to stand..._

And she shot up towards where the cavern's roof opened out into the wide ocean.

_And ready to know what the people know_

She grabbed a book and speed-read through a few pages, as if looking for something.

_Ask 'em my questions and get some answers_

She now swam up to a painting of a man sitting next to a lit candle, touching the flame in the picture.

_What's a fire  
And why does it...  
What's the word?  
Burn?_

Going up to the small hole in the ceiling, Ariel extended a hand through it, as if symbolically reaching for the skies. Sebastian could have fit through, but Flounder and Ariel could not.

_When's it my turn?  
Wouldn't I love  
Love to explore that shore up above..._

_Out of the sea_

Ariel, bringing her hand back to herself, gave an exhalation that was a blend of a sigh and a sob.

_Wish I could be..._

_Part of that...world_

Ariel turned her gaze back skyward one last time, regret beginning to fill her heart. Maybe she would just have to live with the fact that she might never walk on land.

But, consequences be damned, she was going to give it a shot if it was the last thing she did.

At that point, she saw the sky flash yellow for a split second, then heard a muffled boom. Excitement filled Ariel's heart: The humans were launching off what her absentminded seagull friend, Scuttle, had called "fireworks". She had seen these before, and they were quite the amazing sight. She immediately made tracks for the door to her cavern, and then to the surface. She was not about to miss this. Gently and politely sending Flounder away, she quietly broke the surface of the water and looked around. It didn't take long before she saw the fireworks. They were coming from a nearby landmass that she had seen many times. She considered sticking around until they stopped, but then she remembered her father. He'd kill her if he caught her going to the surface again.

So she was about to dive back under when her eyes found a small rowboat. She saw that there was a human in it, and decided to investigate a little more closely. When she got near the boat, she saw that the human was a woman...and the most beautiful woman Ariel had ever had the good fortune to lay eyes on. Medium-length chocolate brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail, while soft almond eyes gazed dreamily at the fireworks. Her facial features matched her eyes: soft and gentle; truly captivating.

Ariel moved around to the other side of the boat for a better view of this woman's face. Lost in the fireworks, she took no notice of Ariel, who was soon lost in the woman's beauty. Those cheeks, her soft pink lips, and especially her eyes. Soft as they were, they had the glint of high intelligence about them. Ariel had no doubt that this woman could back herself up if ever the situation warranted her doing so.

The fireworks illuminated a thick layer of clouds that had gathered. Ariel recognized them as rain clouds and hoped the fireworks ended soon; she wished for no one to get hurt, and there was something about the idea of fireworks in a rainstorm that just terrified her. Thankfully, the rain held out long enough for the fireworks to end safely: no sooner had they stopped than Ariel felt a few drops of rain on her face, which quickly became a full-on torrent. Though the winds did not pick up, there were signs of lightning within the clouds.

Ariel did not have to wait long before the first bolt struck.

And, to her horror, it struck the one place Ariel was hoping against hope it would not strike.

The bolt caught the stern section of the rowboat...far enough away from the woman that it would not harm her directly, but close enough that the entirety of the bolt hit the boat. The sheer force of kinetic energy transferred from the bolt sent the woman flying out of the boat and towards the open ocean. She hit the water with a definitive splash, and by the looks of things, was rendered unconscious by the impact.

Ariel wasted no time. She swam like the Flash over to the woman, who was indeed unconscious, grabbed her by the waist, and brought her to shore.

Ariel knew that she should just get out of here now while she had the chance; eliminate any and all chance of her father finding out about this latest sojourn to the surface. But her heart said to stay with the woman until she regained consciousness. So that's what she did.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Dawn eventually came, and the woman still had not come around. Ariel had not slept a wink, but she didn't feel tired. Whether that was due to adrenaline or not remained to be seen. Soon, she heard a familiar squawk. She looked up and saw Scuttle flying towards them. He landed next to the woman's head.

"Is she...dead?" asked Ariel softly, hoping against all hope that this was not the case.

"It's hard to say," admitted Scuttle, after prying open one of the woman's eyes. He then headed down to her feet, taking the right one and pressing the side of his head to it. Obviously hearing nothing, he delivered the devastating news:

"Oh, I...I can't make out a heartbeat," he said sadly to Ariel.

Ariel looked back towards the woman's face, ready to give her last rites, when she noticed the woman's chest gently rising and falling.

"No, look!" Ariel reported, overjoyed. "She's breathing..." And she gently moved a stray bit of hair out of the woman's face.

"She's so...beautiful," Ariel mused to herself. Very quickly, she realized a surprising truth: She was falling for this human woman, and very hard, too...almost hopelessly so. Ever so tenderly, ever so softly, she placed the same hand she had used to move the hair onto the woman's cheek and, after gently turning the woman's face towards herself, began to stroke it lovingly, almost like she was petting a cat. Feeling a song coming on, Ariel didn't even bother to stop herself:

_What would I give to live where you are?  
What would I pay to stay here beside you?  
What would I do to see you  
Smiling at me?_

_Where would we walk?  
Where would we run  
If we could stay all day in the sun,  
Just you and me,  
And I could be  
Part of your world?_

By this time, the woman was coming around, having opened her eyes and fully registered Ariel's presence. Ariel knew, somehow, that the woman knew who had saved her. As the woman took Ariel's hand (the one that was on the woman's cheek) in her own, they both smiled at each other, and Ariel was about to introduce herself when she heard a small voice coming from very close by, on the beach which they both now occupied. With no time to waste, Ariel bolted, jumping back into the water and swimming behind a nearby rock that was jutting out of the water. Flounder and Sebastian joined her there and watched the goings-on.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Belle had never imagined that she could have the good fortune to look upon something so beautiful and magically wonderful. Despite her rescuer obviously being a woman, she had felt a strong urge to lean in for a kiss, just to see how she would react. Unfortunately, the sun had been shining at just the right angle to obscure almost all of her savior's face. All Belle remembered was a voice that would have made Lumiere cry at its beauty.

"Miss Belle!" she heard a child's voice calling her. Belle recognized it as belonging to Chip.

"Right here, Chip," she responded weakly.

"You gave us all a terrible fright," said the teacup, leaping up to her pocket. "What happened? I saw you go flying into the ocean; we all thought you were dead."

"I almost was," answered Belle. "But a woman...rescued me. When I came to, she was...singing." And she stared off into space, remembering the amazing singing voice of the woman who had saved her life.

"She had the most..." Belle searched for the right word, and eventually found it: "...angelic voice."

"Not that I don't believe you," the little cup replied, "but I didn't see anyone else; just you."

"Oh," said Belle sadly. "Well, better get back to the cottage; Cogsworth probably blew a gasket worrying about me."

"He wasn't the only one," laughed Chip as Belle started back towards the cottage. Little did he know that all she could think of was her rescuer.

_Whoever you are, and wherever you are,_ Belle vowed to herself right then and there, _I will find you, and I will figure out how to thank you for saving me._

BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB

"We just gonna forget this whole ting ever happened," suggested Sebastian in his smooth reggae voice. "The Sea King will never know. You won't tell him," he motioned to Flounder, who shook his head, "I won't tell him. I will stay in one piece." And he looked towards Ariel with his claws pressed together, like he was praying.

The only thing on Ariel's mind was the woman she had saved, and figuring out a way to see her again. Until then, she'd probably work on a painting of this woman. And she now had a name for the woman she loved: Belle. She climbed up the rock, so as to get a better view of Belle as she walked away. For the third time in the span of about twelve hours, Ariel felt the urge to sing, and gave in to it:

_I don't know when  
I don't know how  
But I know something's starting right now_

_Watch and you'll see  
Someday I'll be  
Part of your...world_

As the final word left Ariel's lips, she struck a classic mermaid pose on the rock just as a sizable wave came along and broke against the rock, creating what any onlookers would have remembered as a very dramatic image.

Unbeknownst to Ariel and company, two slimy moray eels were now poking their heads out from the water, watching the scene with rapt interest.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Earlier that night, back in France, Gaston Cousteau was sitting in a bar talking to his cronies.

"And nobody's seen Belle in town for three weeks!" he cried. "Where in the blazes could she have gone?!"

"Don't worry, Gaston," called one of his men from the back. "We'll find her."

Right then, a new voice from the door made its presence known with three simple words:

"I already have."

Gaston jerked up at the phrase and his eyes darted towards the door. What he saw was a traveling man on his payroll, an old hobo that needed a little extra cash, which Gaston was not afraid to shell out when called for.

"What did you say?" he asked, a dangerous glint in his eye.

"I have found Belle Cartier," the man repeated. "I know where she is even as we speak."

The glint in Gaston's eye became a gleam of triumph as he spoke the words he had been waiting to say for almost a month:

_**"Take me to her...right**_** now."**

* * *

A/N: Holy Romulus, what an opening act! A full 10,500 words even, and a lot was going on! Now, if only I could submit this story for NaNoWriMo! XD Ah, well, life is not perfect. Hopefully, I didn't make you fall asleep with what happened here. If I did, you better break out the trucker's adrenaline, because I have some great shit in store for you guys!

Also, a special thanks to DeviantArt's XavierHaven and our very own Crazy Cat Lady for giving me the go-ahead to write this, inspired by both their AriBelle works. Crazy Cat Lady also agreed to be my beta for this story, so extra special thanks to her.

TBC...


	2. Chapter 2: The Clock is Ticking

**Chapter 2: The Clock is Ticking**

"Thank you so much, London!" cried the man with the microphone on the stage as the concert was about to end. Wembley Stadium erupted in cheers and applause. This man, with the help of four of his friends, and a full orchestra, had brought a show to the United Kingdom that they would not soon forget.

"A big round of applause..." he began, "...for our dear friend Jamshied Sharifi and the Octavarium Orchestra!" The orchestra stood up and took a bow, to great response from the audience.

"And now," continued the man, pushing his long brown hair out of his face, "I'd like to call up a very special someone from the Octavarium Orchestra, who will sing our final song tonight and give her master violinist's fingers a break, because God knows she deserves it. Wembley, stand up, put your hands together, raise your voices, and show your love for the Octavarium Orchestra's Concertmistress, the lovely and talented Miss Belle Cartier!"

And Belle walked up, dressed in a flattering black concert suit, and took a spare microphone.

"Well, thank you, sir," she started, "but I must say, it's kind of embarrassing: I've been a fan of your music for about a month now, but I still don't know who you are."

"You don't?" laughed the man who had introduced her. The audience chuckled, as well.

"Well," clarified Belle, "I know your band: Dream Theater, but I don't know any names."

"Oh, I got you," answered the man. "Well, first off, I'm Kevin James LaBrie, lead vocalist. I dropped my first name when I joined back in '91 because there was another Kevin in the band, playing keyboards."

"Oh," guessed Belle, "so you became simply James to avoid confusion?"

"Correct," answered James. "By the time Kevin left, though, everyone had grown used to calling me James, so we just kept it."

"Makes sense," agreed Belle. "Anyways, who else is who?"

"Well, let's go around starting to my right," suggested James. "This, over here..." -he indicated a man of Asian descent holding a six-stringed bass guitar- "...is John Myung, our bassist. He's been with the band since the beginning. He and our guitarist went to Berklee College of Music in the state of Massachusetts, which is where they met our original drummer."

"Hello there," greeted Belle warmly, offering her hand.

"Nice to meet you," answered John, taking her hand and shaking it. "Call me JM."

"JM?" asked Belle, confused.

"The man I'm about to introduce you to is the reason why," explained James. With that, he started leading her away from JM towards the other side of the stage.

"We apologize for the delay, folks," joked Belle as they approached a man with long black hair holding a funky-looking electric guitar. The crowd laughed in appreciation, and James also chuckled.

"A sense of humor, ladies and gentlemen!" he shouted to the crowd. "How about that?!" Cheers and applause from the crowd.

"You don't see that too often in onstage orchestras nowadays," added James. "I must say, it's refreshing."

"Yes, well, my incident on the water about a month ago taught me to take life a little less seriously," revealed Belle.

"Where you were saved by a woman who could sing like the angels?" asked James.

"Indeed," affirmed Belle with a wistful smile on her face. "I wish I knew where she was right now; I really want to say thank you to her for saving my life."

"Well, right now," suggested James, "how about you say hello to our lead guitarist, Mr. John Petrucci?" And he indicated the man to whom they had walked up when Belle cracked her joke.

"Lovely to meet you, Mr. Petrucci," greeted Belle, likewise offering him her hand.

"Please," he requested, "call me John. Mr. Petrucci is my father." With that, he took her hand and kissed it. Belle felt her cheeks grow warm and smiled at John, who smiled right back.

"Hey, Wembley," yelled James, "who says chivalry's dead, huh?!" More cheers from the crowd.

James then led Belle around to a bald man with an epic rectangular beard who was standing at a keyboard, to which a fingerboard was also attached.

"This here," introduced James, "is the man we know as Mr. Wizard..." Cheers and applause from the audience. "...but is formally named Jordan Rudess."

"How do you do?" asked Belle kindly, again offering her hand.

"Can't complain," answered Jordan, taking her hand and shaking it. "Well, actually, I could, but who wants to hear that?"

"Amen," agreed Belle, laughing.

"Funny thing," noted Jordan, "it actually took them two tries to get me in this band."

"Really?" queried Belle, surprised.

"It's true," insisted Jordan. "They first recruited me when their original keyboardist left. I probably would have joined if I didn't have a lot of personal things going on at the time. So I respectfully declined their offer and went on tour with a band called the Dixie Dregs."

"Right," added James, "but we really wanted this man to play with us. So along about '99, after he's done with Dixie, he joins a supergroup called Liquid Tension Experiment, along with Mike Portnoy, who was our original drummer, and John."

"That time," joked Jordan, "I said, 'You know what? I'll play with you guys if you'll shut up about it.'" Laughter from the crowd and the band. "Thankfully, the album we made together has been called our masterwork, and I've been with these goofballs ever since."

"And we wouldn't trade you for anything, man," put in James. "OK, real quick, let's come behind the drums here. It's a tight fit, but don't be afraid..." Belle was able to find a seam in between two drum towers and squeeze through. "OK, and this madman back here is the Master from Mass. Say hello to Mike Mangini."

"_Enchantée,_" greeted Belle, once again offering her hand.

"Likewise," answered Mike in English, kissing her hand. "Hey, have you met my friend Luke?"

"Can't say I have," confessed Belle.

"He plays drums and piano, and occasionally sings," explained Mike. "He's a good kid; I'll introduce you to him someday. Now go up there and devour this crowd."

"With pleasure," replied Belle. She then squeezed herself out of the drum space via the same seam she had used to get in, and walked back to the front of the stage.

"Now," began James, "Belle here has a song she wants to send out to someone she lost not long before she came to the UK. Thankfully, it's one of ours, so we know how to play it." Chuckles from the crowd. "Jordan, whenever you're ready, hit it!"

Jordan immediately obliged, beginning a slow, mournful piano riff on his keyboard. After a short while, a hopeful violin, which would normally have been played by Belle, joined in over the piano riff. It didn't last very long, though, and it soon stopped, to be replaced by a sad acoustic melody played by John. Once that was done, John grabbed his electric and began playing a very fast and complicated riff that slowly faded in as the piano stopped.

"Papa..." said Belle sadly to the sky, "...this is for you."

As soon as she finished speaking, the full band kicked in, playing a very happy intro piece with a slight melancholy edge to it. The crowd came to life as they recognized the tune. Belle came in when she was signaled and began the eulogy-style lyrics:

_Remember days of yesterday  
And how it flew so fast  
The one score and a year we had  
I thought would always last_

_The summer days and big-time dreams  
I wished would never end  
A young girl and her father  
Idol and best friend_

As the band transitioned to the chorus riff, James took up the background vocals:

_I'll always remember  
Those were the best of times  
A lifetime together  
I'll never forget_

A quick melodic break, then Belle came back in:

_The morning shows on the radio  
"The Case of the Missing Dog"  
Lying on the pillows in the farmhouse  
While watching "Harold and Maude"_

_It's widely known the bookshop  
Was my home away from home  
But though we weren't together  
I never felt alone_

Back to the chorus, James again providing backup:

_I'll always remember  
Those were the best of times  
I'll cherish them forever  
The best of times_

The band now switched over to a very emotional riff as Belle and James belted out a bridge section:

_But then came the day  
My life changed forevermore  
"You can pray for a change  
But prepare for the end"_

Another emotional riff, accompanied by the full orchestra, led Belle into the last section of the song, which began with the following, over a simple piano riff:

_The fleeting winds of time  
Flying through each day  
All the things I should have done  
But time just slipped away_

The band jumped back in, though more as an afterthought than anything else:

_Remember, seize the day_

_Life goes by  
In th__e blink of an eye  
__With so much...left to say_

_These were the best of times  
I'll miss these days  
Your spirit lit my life each day_

The piano took over solo once again:

_Thank you for the inspiration  
Thank you for the smiles  
All the unconditional love  
That carried me for miles_

The band came back again, though with a little bit more power to it this time. Belle looked skyward once again, and did not look at anything else until her lyrics were done:

_It carried me for miles_

_But most of all  
Thank you for...  
...my life_

_These were the best of times  
I'll miss these days  
Your spirit lit my life each day_

_My heart is bleeding bad  
But I'll be okay  
Your spirit guides my life each day..._

"Wembley," yelled James as the band began the section led by John and his guitar that would bring the song to its end, "let's hear it one more time for Concertmistress Belle Cartier!" A standing ovation from 90,000 people almost knocked Belle clear off her feet. With tears beginning to leak out of her almond-colored eyes, she took a deep bow and returned to her seat, took up her violin, and started playing again as if nothing had happened.

BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB

Later that night, Belle sat bolt upright in bed, covered head to foot in a damp, clammy, cold sweat. She had just dreamed...again...of the woman who had saved her life last month. It had been so vivid, as it usually was: She had felt the sand beneath her back, heard the angelic voice combined with heartfelt lyrics, felt the weight of another woman's body lightly pressing down on her own.

Blast that sun and its position in the sky at the time she came to! She still had no idea what this woman looked like, but she believed with all her heart that she would know her when she found her.

She then threw back the covers and stood up, intending to go to her bathroom and take a shower, then...hopefully...return to sleep. As she got out of bed, she realized something truly embarrassing: Her nightgown, her only piece of clothing when she slept, had been ripped from her body and thrown into the corner of the room.

Blushing, Belle went to go and get it.

_Funny,_ she thought, _I don't remember shedding my clothes... _At that exact moment, she heard a knock on her door. Terrified, Belle called out, "One second!" And with that, she darted over to her nightgown, picked it up, and slipped into it, all in one movement.

"OK," she called, "come in!" The door opened to reveal a man wearing a police uniform.

"Miss Belle Cartier?" he asked with a heavy British bent.

"Yes," she confirmed, "that's me."

"I'm Officer Neil Garrett from Scotland Yard," he introduced himself. "Would you please come with me? A dying man in the hospital has requested to see you."

"Who is it?" she asked, walking up to the officer.

"He wouldn't give us a name," answered Garrett, "but he did say he's a former sailor who knows you."

Then it clicked: Her rowing mentor was on his deathbed.

"Give me a minute to get dressed," she said to Garrett. "I can't go darting around the UK in only a chemise."

"There are very few who would complain if you did, ma'am," informed Garrett humorlessly, "male and female alike."

Belle managed a weak chuckle at the comment, and the next thing she knew, she was dressed and ensconced in a squad car, racing off towards the Princess Grace Hospital, not far from the Queen Mary's Gardens and the Sherlock Holmes Museum on, fittingly enough, Baker Street. In no time at all, Belle was being led to a room deep within the hospital, inside of which she quickly located the old sailor, barely clinging to life. All she could think of at this point was her father, and how he had appeared during his last moments. The sailor, if possible, looked even worse: he was hooked up to about twenty different machines, all of which served a purpose, though Belle knew not what. The nurse walked out of the room to wait for the inevitable.

Belle, however, had a different idea: Find out why he had requested her presence this close to death. So she woke him up with a touch.

"Ah," he said hoarsely and softly, "Mademoiselle Cartier. I'm glad you came."

"Of course," answered Belle warmly. "Anything to help."

"Then heed my final words well," requested the sailor.

"I'm listening," promised Belle.

"You have taken to rowing far better and more quickly than anyone I have ever had the pleasure of knowing," praised the sailor. "But when I heard about your incident last month, I realized there was one thing I forgot to teach you. Allow me to pass it on to you now."

"What might that be?" asked Belle, curious.

"If you find yourself at a great height above the open water," informed the sailor, "try to align yourself so that you are perpendicular to the water, enter the fetal position, and exit said position just as you hit the water. The impact of your feet going under will break the surface tension and let you escape your journey without serious injury."

"Wow," breathed Belle, amazed. "Definitely could have used that last month."

"Indeed," agreed the sailor, "and there is one final thing I must say before I pass from this world to the next."

"Go on..." encouraged Belle.

"The story I told you about Prince Eric?" began the old man. "Do you remember it?"

"I do," affirmed Belle. "And about that: Where is Prince Eric now? Do you know?"

"He's right here," the old sailor revealed, pointing to himself. "I am he."

"Wait, what?!" cried Belle.

"It's true," said the sailor weakly. "I am Prince Eric of Denmark. The woman I married was a mute from Greece. She struck a deal to give herself a voice. The price she paid was a limited amount of time on the land."

"Who was she?" asked Belle.

"Her name was Athena," answered Eric, "and she was the most beautiful woman on the land...or under the sea, for that matter."

"How do you know that?" queried Belle.

"Remember that deal she made?" began Eric. "At the end of it, she became a mermaid, and was forced to live under the sea for the rest of her days. She forgot all about me and who she was before she became a mermaid, though not by her own choice."

"Who was it she made the deal with?" Belle wanted to know.

"Some magician from the Middle East; he had a talking parrot with him. Anyway," continued Eric, "I kept sailing wherever the winds took me after she left. It was the only way I could forget the pain. Then, one day, I hit a rock off the coast of Italy...or would have, had a mermaid not gotten between it and my ship."

"You killed a mermaid?!" cried Belle, horrified.

"It gets worse," added Eric. And then the pieces fell into place for Belle.

"...No...You didn't..." gasped Belle. "Please tell me it wasn't..."

"I wish I could," said Eric sadly. "But that would make me a liar. It was Athena. Her new husband was livid."

"I can imagine," put in Belle, tears beginning to stream from her eyes. "Was it at least an accident?"

"He didn't think so at first," answered Eric. "It took a long while to calm him down enough to the point where he would hear me out. Ever since that day, though, he's held me responsible for leaving his seven daughters motherless. He showed them to me and I could not stop myself from crying. Even today, it makes me tear up just thinking about it." And indeed he was.

"It also didn't help," he went on, "that the youngest daughter was the spitting image of Athena, but with blue eyes instead of green. Here's a picture of Athena for visual reference." He then pulled out of his pocket a small picture of a stunningly beautiful woman with bright red hair and vivid green eyes.

And the blank space in her memory filled itself in for Belle in one shining piece; a face, eyes, hair, and a voice, which resolved itself into...

"She's the one that saved me!" she cried out in a whisper.

"Beg pardon?" asked Eric.

"Who was the merman that married Athena?" Belle asked, wiping her eyes.

"He said he was the King of the Seas," answered Eric. "I don't remember his name."

"Then...Wow!" exclaimed Belle. "I think the one who saved me was his youngest daughter, which would make her..."

"A princess, yes," confirmed Eric.

"Oh, thank you!" cried Belle as she threw her arms around Eric.

"Oof!" grunted Eric as Belle accidentally squeezed a little tighter than he would have liked. "Easy on the old, dying man, m'dear."

"Oh, sorry," apologized Belle as she pulled away.

"Not to worry," answered Eric. "I'm about ready to go anyway. My final lessons and story have been passed on, and now I can do the same in peace. Thank you so much for your company, Miss Belle; you've done more for this old sea dog than any one person can say. But be warned: He who hunts you is on his way here. He will not rest until he has you in his grasp."

"What?" Belle asked, bewildered.

"The man who seeks your hand above all else..." gasped Eric. "He's coming..."

"Gaston?!" yelped Belle. "How do you...?"

"A man I once called friend is on his payroll," revealed Eric. "I wish there was more I could do..."

"You've done enough," thanked Belle. "I can handle Gaston. Thank you for the heads-up."

"My pleasure," whispered Eric. "Now, go. Spread your talent across the UK, and eventually, the world. Let all bear witness to your God-given gifts and come away in wonder." And with that, Eric, his task completed, closed his eyes and set his proud face in repose. His heart monitor continued to beep intermittently, indicating that he was still alive, but it was obvious to Belle that Prince Eric of Denmark was beginning his journey off this mortal coil. With a single tear leaking from each almond-shaped eye, Belle kissed the old man's forehead, stood up, and walked out of the room.

BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB

Meanwhile, the sun had come up, and as the sky completed its turn to blue, Officer Garrett's patrol car was pulling up to the Belle Tout Lighthouse, which was now on the opposite side of the road from where it had sat for God knew how long. When he had seen this earlier this morning, picking Belle up from her abode, it had taken him completely by surprise. The lighthouse was now sitting where the cottage had once sat, and the cottage, which was now in the lighthouse's old spot, was...well...no longer a cottage. Belle had used the money from her musical appearances very well, and had transformed the cottage into a full-blown Victorian-era mansion, complete with a stable and a sports court in the back.

_Amazing what one person can accomplish in so little time,_ Garrett mused to himself. As he pulled off to the side of the road and Belle readied herself to exit the vehicle, Garrett left her with one final quip:

"You take care of yourself, now, hear?"

"I will, Officer," promised Belle. "And thanks again."

"Not a problem, milady," shrugged Garrett. "Simply doing my job." As Belle shut the car door, Garrett tipped his hat to her, and off he went. Belle crossed the road when it was safe to do so, and, entering the mansion into a glorious foyer, made her way to the professional-grade kitchen, where she helped Lumiere and Cogsworth check their stocks. Everything came out ahead, and Lumiere suggested she take today off.

"You know, that's not a bad idea," decided Belle. "I think I'll go for a swim." And she went up to her bedroom, grabbed what she would need, changed into a no-frills violet one-piece swimsuit, and off she went down to the beach.

* * *

Meanwhile, a plane touched down at Heathrow Airport in Hillingdon. Pulling into a terminal, it unloaded its passengers, who made their way to their respective destinations. One particular passenger took a limo to Eastbourne, though it required a little...persuasion...on the passenger's part. The limo driver would never forget what it was like to drive with a gun to his head.

When they arrived in Eastbourne Harbor, the man stepped out of the limo, made his way to the driver's window, and gave a very generous tip...or so the passenger thought. One gold coin was nothing for this man. As the limo sped off, the handsome young man looked around, as if scoping a hunting zone. His eyes eventually fell on a sign that said: "Belle Tout Lighthouse: This Way".

"I hope you're ready, Belle," said Gaston dangerously, "because Daddy Cousteau is coming for you."

* * *

On the day of Belle's performance with Dream Theater, in the underwater kingdom of Atlantica, the royal family of mermaids, and Triton, were just waking up for the day.

Specifically, Triton was on his way to greet his seven daughters as they prettied themselves up for the day. He had no idea what changes were taking place right under his nose...if he did, boy, would he be mad.

Meanwhile, in the princesses' sleeping quarters, four of the sisters were already almost done putting on their makeup. Aquata, the eldest, and Attina, the middle child, were animatedly chatting away about (what else?) boys. Adella, the third youngest, was making a small adjustment to her golden pearls, perched ever so carefully atop her dark brown hair. Meanwhile, Andrina, the second eldest, had already finished her makeup and was now waiting to ask Ariel a burning question she'd had for over two weeks now.

Only one problem: Ariel hadn't left the bedroom yet. And this was really beginning to irk Andrina, who had a bit of a temper despite her wonderful sense of humor. She decided to give Ariel one last warning:

"Ariel," she growled, "come out! You've been in there all morning!" And she was about to swim through the kelp curtain and drag her sister out of bed when...Whoa! There she was, swimming at full speed through the curtain, long, flowing red hair forming a trail behind her, as always.

She was also humming happily, which was part of what was bothering Andrina: She had never seen Ariel this happy. Obviously lost in her thoughts, Ariel made her way over to where Aquata and Attina were chatting and started to comb her hair using a coral brush. A fine tool, but Ariel really missed her dinglehopper. She felt like it did so much better than a simple brush at combing hair.

As she ran the brush through her thick, wavy locks, her sisters could not help but gaze at her. It was plain to them that their sister definitely had something...or maybe some_one_...on her mind. Before they could hold a family huddle, though, in came King Triton, just as Ariel had finished with her hair and began to make her way outside.

She almost swam right into him. Her short, sudden stop knocked a sea rose that she had been wearing out of her hair.

"Oh," she giggled, "morning, Daddy." And without another word, she picked up the rose and put it in her father's hair, just above his left ear: the spot where Ariel often wore it on her own head.

"Well..." chuckled Triton as Ariel swam off, still humming merrily. Triton and the four women that were present just stared after her. As they stared, the ladies pondered what was on all their minds: What was the reason for the sudden change in Ariel's behavior? She'd been carrying on like this for a month now. There was definitely something up.

And then it came to them in one shining piece, a gift from the fountain of glorious discoveries.

Attina was the first to voice the findings:

"Oh, she's got it bad," she quipped in a sarcastic monotone. Aquata and Adella could only nod in agreement, as Adella's hands found their way to the hips on her chartreuse tail. Aquata's bright blue tail, meanwhile, was simply hanging straight down: She seemed to be in slight shock. She'd never imagined this happening for Ariel, especially when her mind was always thinking of the surface world.

"What?" asked Triton, obviously lost. "What has she got?"

"Isn't it obvious, Daddy?" sighed Andrina wistfully. "Ariel's in love."

The implications of this were not lost on Triton, who took the sea rose out of his hair and started examining it.

"Ariel?" he mused. "In love?" As he realized what this meant, a grand smile grew across his face. It was time to congratulate Sebastian on a job well done.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Sebastian, meanwhile, was in a nervous panic, pacing back and forth just beneath Ariel, who was using another sea rose to figure out whether or not she should tell Belle how she felt next time she saw her.

"She loves me...She loves me not," mused Ariel softly as she slowly removed the petals from the stalk.

"OK," muttered Sebastian rapidly, "so far, so good. I don't tink de king knows." His rambling was briefly interrupted as a sea rose petal landed on his face. He spluttered, yanked it off, and continued:

"But it will not be easy keeping someting like dis a secret for long!"

Ariel, of course, was paying no attention: Her rose was just about out of petals.

"She loves me..." And her face lit up as she picked a petal from the flower and gently tossed it aside.

"She loves me not..." Her face now fell, taking on a slightly grumpy look, as the penultimate petal was removed. She saw that there was only one petal left, and joy such as she had never known filled her entire being.

"She loves me!" she said triumphantly, ripping the final petal from the stalk. "I knew it!" And she held the petal close to her heart, unable to stop herself from laughing out of pure romantic bliss.

Sebastian heard all of this, and decided right then and there that enough was enough. He scuttled up to her, following the rock.

"Ariel," he commanded, "stop talking crazy!"

"I gotta see her again," Ariel blurted out, completely ignoring Sebastian. "Tonight!" And a plan to make it happen was already forming in her head.

"Scuttle knows where she lives!" she realized, and began to swim off.

"Ariel, please!" cried Sebastian, grabbing on to Ariel's caudal fin. Ariel simply dragged him along, still working out her plan.

"Will you get your head outta de clouds and back in de water where it belongs?!" ordered Sebastian. Still no response from Ariel.

"I'll swim up to her beach," began Ariel, talking about as rapidly as Sebastian had earlier, "then Flounder will splash around to get her attention..." And Ariel's speech started to lose coherence right about now. Sebastian could sense he was going to have to take drastic measures.

"Down here is your home!" he shouted firmly. Thinking quickly, he swam up to her, stopping right in front of her face. Ariel stopped short, not wishing to hurt Sebastian.

"Ariel," he began, "listen to me. De human world, it's a mess. Life under de sea," he continued as he closed in on Ariel, who backed up until she was sitting on that rock again, "is better dan anyting dey got up dere." Then, in the voice that had kept him his position as court composer for so long, he sang:

_De seaweed is always greener  
In somebody else's lake  
You dream about going up dere  
But dat is a big mistake_

Ariel took on a very skeptical look at this last line, raising an eyebrow so high that it almost disappeared into her luscious red locks. Gesturing to the small area they were sitting in, Sebastian continued:

_Just look at de world around you  
Right here on de ocean floor  
Such wonderful tings around you  
What more is you looking for?_

As Ariel was caught up in a whirlpool of clown fish, she thought she recognized two of them.

_Was that Nemo and Marlin?_ she thought. _Strange. We're nowhere near Australia. _But before she could ponder this further, and certainly wonder why Dory was not with them, Sebastian had slid down the rock and resumed singing:

_Under da sea  
Under da sea  
Darling, it's better down where it's wetter  
Take it from me_

Ariel now settled back down onto the rock. Sebastian moved out of her way and alighted himself upon her tail.

_Up on de shore they work all day  
Out in de sun dey slave away  
While we devotin' full-time to floatin'  
Under da sea_

Sebastian now slid down Ariel's tail and launched off her caudal fin as if he was performing a stunt jump on a coral bike off the Great Barrier Reef. With a laugh, he landed near one of his musical friends from his younger days, who joined him in song:

_Down here all de fish is happy  
As off through de waves dey roll  
De fish on de land ain't happy  
Dey sad 'cause dey in de bowl_

And a rather ugly fish who had been caught in an air bubble floated towards Ariel, who gazed at it sadly. She went to pop the bubble, but just before she made contact, Sebastian swam back up to her face.

_But fish in de bowl is lucky  
Dey in for a worser fate  
One day when de boss get hungry_

And Sebastian popped the bubble with the ugly fish, who fell onto a piece of coral that looked suspiciously like a platter for a grand feast. Indicating himself, the fish chimed in with a surprisingly deep bass voice:

_Guess who gon' be on de plate_

Ariel had stopped paying all attention, and was stroking what she thought was seaweed near the bottom of the rock. It turned out to be a seahorse, which called up its family and started swimming all around Ariel, creating little currents that barely touched her body, which, in turn, created a tickling sensation that Ariel thoroughly enjoyed. Sebastian, meanwhile, saw none of this and simply went on singing:

_Uh-oh_

_Under da sea  
Under da sea  
Nobody beat us, fry us, and eat us in fricassee_

He now walked up to a closed clam, in front of which was laying a small set of fish hooks. Opening the clam and grabbing the hooks, he placed them in the clam's mouth and closed it. Swimming off, Sebastian kept an eye on the clam, which soon spit out the hooks and sent them flying...right at Sebastian's head. He deftly ducked, and was able to avoid injury.

_We what de land folks loves to cook  
__Under da sea we off de hook  
We got no troubles  
Life is de bubbles under da sea  
(Under the sea)  
Under da sea  
(Under the sea)  
Since life is sweet here  
We got de beat here naturally_

As Sebastian sang, his old band, The Catfish Club, was being drawn by his singing into their instruments' places, ready to play...maybe for the last time.

_Even de sturgeon and de ray  
Dey get de urge and start to play  
We got de spirit  
You got to hear it  
Under da sea_

Sebastian swam over to his favorite steel shells. Playing a quick riff on them, he began calling out the members of the Catfish Club Band one by one:

_De lute play de flute  
De carp play de harp  
De plaice play de bass  
And dey soundin' sharp  
_

_De bass play de brass  
De chub play de tub  
De fluke is de duke of soul  
(Yeah)_

_De ray, he can play  
De ling's on de strings  
De trout rockin' out  
De black fish, she sings_

_De smelt and de sprat  
Dey know where it's at  
And, oh, dat blowfish BLOW..._

With a laugh from Sebastian, the Catfish Club moved into a full instrumental section.

Meanwhile, Flounder was swimming through all this, enjoying the music, but trying not to be seen. Eventually, he caught sight of Ariel, and darted over to her. Putting one fin in front of his mouth in a "shh" gesture, he used the other to tap her on the shoulder. She turned towards him, smiling when she saw who it was.

"I've got something to show you," he whispered in her ear.

"Oh, really?" Ariel whispered back excitedly. "What is it?"

"Follow me," answered Flounder. "But be quiet." Ariel obeyed, sneaking away after Flounder to she knew not where.

Sebastian, again, noticed none of this, and signaled for the Catfish Club to move into the song's last section:

_Yeah!_

_Under da sea  
(Under the sea)  
Under da sea  
(Under the sea)  
When de sardine begin de beguine  
It's music to me  
(Music it is to me)_

_What do dey got? A lotta sand?  
We got a hot crustacean band  
Each little clam here  
Know how to jam here  
Under da sea_

_Each little slug here  
Cutting a rug here  
Under da sea  
_

_Each little snail here  
Know how to wail here  
Dat's why it's hotter  
Under de water  
Yah, we in luck here  
Down in de muck here  
Under da sea..._

"Hey!" they all yelled as the last note sounded, and all eyes fell on the rock where Ariel had last been seen.

She wasn't there.

"Uh..." stuttered Sebastian, his smile becoming pained. "Ariel?" He looked all around: She was nowhere to be seen. As the other fish swam away, Sebastian gave an exasperated sigh.

"Oh," he said frustratedly, "somebody's gotta nail dat girl's fins to de floor." And his head drooped down. Just then, he heard a voice: not Ariel's, yet he knew it when he heard it. It was the seahorse who delivered the readings at every court gathering.

"Sebastian!" he was yelling. "Sebastian!"

"Right here, mon!" called Sebastian. He then saw the seahorse swim over from his left. It floated up to him and saluted before delivering his message:

"Sebastian," he began, panting, "I've been looking all over for you. I've got an urgent message from the Sea King."

"De Sea King?" repeated Sebastian nervously. Was the bombshell about to be dropped? The seahorse tugged on one of Sebastian's claws in a "come quickly" gesture as he finished his message:

"He wants to see you right away. Something about Ariel." And the seahorse swam off.

As the little seahorse disappeared around a nearby corner, Sebastian could not suppress a frightened gasp: His closet had opened, and his skeleton had come screaming out.

"He knows..." he muttered to himself.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Triton was playing about with the sea rose given him by Ariel earlier that morning, overjoyed that his daughter seemed to have finally returned to her senses and dropped all thought of the human world from her mind.

"Hey, let's see now," he chuckled to the sea rose. "Oh, who could the lucky merman be? Or perhaps it's another mermaid?" And he toyed with the possibilities for a few seconds, then he saw a small red speck at the door to his room. He recognized it as Sebastian, who had a look on his face that suggested he was about to be parboiled and served with chips.

Quickly hiding the sea rose behind himself, he cleared his throat.

"Come in, Sebastian," he said awkwardly. Slowly, gingerly, Sebastian obeyed.

"I mustn't overreact," Sebastian reminded himself after a sharp intake of breath. "I must remain calm." And he made his way to within talking distance of Triton.

"Yes?" he squeaked when he had reached his destination. Then, realizing how high his voice had been just then, he cleared his own throat and tried again:

"Yes, Your Majesty?"

"Sebastian," began Triton, "I'm concerned about Ariel. Have you noticed she's been acting peculiar lately?"

"Oh," stuttered Sebastian, "uh, peculiar?"

"You know," clarified Triton, "mooning about. Daydreaming. Singing to herself." Then, he turned towards Sebastian as a thought struck him:

"You haven't noticed, hmm?" he asked.

"Oh," Sebastian stammered, still more nervous than an escaped convict in the J. Edgar Hoover building, "well, I..."

"Sebastian..." prompted Triton.

"Hmm?" acknowledged Sebastian, putting on a placating smile.

"I know you've been keeping something from me," answered Triton in a semi-playful voice, beckoning Sebastian to come up beside him. Sebastian, of course, was too frightened out of his wits to notice the playful tone in Triton's voice as he swam up to alight on the arm of Triton's throne.

"Keeping someting?" squeaked Sebastian after an audible gulp.

"About Ariel?" pressured Triton, a playfully predatory smile crossing his strong, proud face.

Sebastian then heard a chattering, much like teeth in cold weather. He quickly realized it was his legs, and firmly sat on them.

"Ariel?" Sebastian asked, voice...and resolve...quavering.

"In love, hmm?" grinned Triton, moving the point of his trident to sit directly in front of Sebastian's face as a joke.

This was too much for Sebastian, and it all tumbled out in a rush, with him powerless to stop the flood.

Triton's only warning from Sebastian was a whimper, then:

"I tried to stop her, sir!" cried Sebastian desperately. "She wouldn't listen! I told her to stay away from humans! Dey are _bad_! Dey are trouble!"

Triton heard only one word of this, in his surprise at Sebastian's reaction to his joke.

"Humans?" he repeated, feeling his anger flare up. "What about humans?!" And he grabbed his trident, determined to get to the bottom of this, as Sebastian jumped backwards, determined to escape his liege's wrath.

"Humans?" chuckled Sebastian, floating away from the anger and rage easily visible on Triton's face. "Who said anyting about humans?"

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

"Flounder," asked Ariel for what must have been the fifth time as they came upon the entrance to what she recognized as her treasure cave, "why can't you just tell me what this is all about?"

"You'll see," answered Flounder. "It's a surprise." And as Ariel entered the cavern proper, she saw what Flounder had done, and her jaw hit the floor. Standing in the middle of the cavern's bottom floor was a statue that looked to be carved from loose rock which had been gathered from around the sea floor. Nearby it was the painting of Belle that Ariel had made last month, which had obviously been used for reference in the creation of this statue. As Ariel stared at it, she felt her heart skip a beat: She recognized it as her painting, brought to life in three dimensions: Belle sitting in her rowboat, gazing up and slightly to her own left, as if watching the fireworks again. A content smile graced her lovely visage. It was a perfect life-size recreation, and it looked even more like the real thing than her painting did, if that was possible. Ariel had, as of late, developed a very skilled hand with a painter's canvas, but this statue put her incredibly lifelike and amazingly accurate portrait to shame.

"Oh, Flounder," she gushed. "Flounder, you're the best!" And she wrapped Flounder up in a tight hug, placing a kiss on his forehead for good measure. She then swam over to the statue and began to examine it a little more closely. Flounder, sensing that Ariel would want this moment to herself, made to quietly leave the cave.

Ariel, meanwhile, had swum around to the statue's face.

"It looks just like her," she marveled. "It even has her eyes." And with a giggle, Ariel let herself go, switching to role-playing mode:

"Why, Belle," she said, "run away with you?" Then, taking on a tone that was a blend of mysterious and hard-to-get, she added, laying her head on the statue's shoulder: "Oh, this is all so...so sudden." Laughing, Ariel planted a kiss on the statue's cheek, and, feeling yet another song coming on, let it loose:

_Just her and me  
Oh, I can see it_

_Myself and Belle  
We're sharing life_

_She stole my heart  
I swear, she's perfect_

_I love you, Belle, and want to be your wife  
I want to be part of your world and life_

_I want to live above the ocean with you  
I want it more than I can tell  
And I know it would be grand  
To have someone understand  
I'll be glad to wed you if I can..._

Kissing the statue again, this time on its lips, Ariel began rapidly spinning in a series of tight circles, losing herself once again in laughter and romantic bliss.

That bliss would soon be broken, however, as when Ariel opened her eyes, she saw her father, trident in hand, floating there in front of the entryway to the cave, and he did not look happy in the slightest.

"Daddy?" she said, surprised, and a little afraid.

Sebastian was hiding behind a small outcropping, trying desperately not to be seen. Flounder, meanwhile, had made tracks for a nearby treasure chest and was hiding behind that. All they could do was watch, for they knew what was about to happen: Ariel's world was about to be shattered.

"I consider myself a reasonable merman," began Triton dangerously, moving slowly, purposefully, towards Ariel, who backed up and gave ground (or gave water, as it were) until she was ensconced in the statue's rowboat. "I set certain rules, and I expect those rules to be obeyed."

"But, Dad, I..." Ariel began to protest, but was cut off: Triton was having none of it.

"Is it true you rescued a human from drowning?!" he demanded.

"Daddy," Ariel tried to explain, "I had to."

"Contact between the human world and the mer world is strictly forbidden," Triton reminded sternly. "Ariel, you know this! Everyone knows this!"

"She would have died!" cried Ariel, determined to make her father see sense.

"One less human to worry about!" snarled Triton, obviously not biting, and he turned his back on her as memories of the human who had killed his wife, albeit inadvertently, filled his mind.

"But you don't even know her!" shot back Ariel, beginning to sense that this may be a losing battle.

"Know her?" raged Triton as he rounded on Ariel again. "I don't have to know her! They're all the same: Spineless, savage, harpooning fish-eaters, incapable of any feeling..."

"Damn it, Daddy," Ariel blurted out at last, voice quavering with the tears that were threatening to spill from her eyes, "I love her!" Her eyes widened as she realized her slip, and her hand automatically shot up to cover her mouth.

The admission of love shocked Triton deeply to his core, even more so than his daughter's use of humans' foul language. Being of a liberal nature very common among merfolk, the fact that the object of his daughter's affections was a female was of no concern to Triton. But the fact that his daughter was fawning over a human? No, he could not accept that. Something had to be done; this needed to be stopped.

"No..." he breathed. "Have you lost your senses completely?! She's a human! You're a mermaid!"

"I don't care," sobbed Ariel angrily, arms wrapped around the statue's neck as if it was her only chance at life.

"So help me, Ariel," thundered Triton, finally losing all patience, "I am going to get through to you! And if this is the only way..." The trident began to glow a very ominous orange, throwing some deep shadows onto some key places upon Triton's face. He looked truly frightening.

"_...so be it,_" he finished in a deadly voice. With that, he aimed his trident and released a blast of energy at some treasures along a high wall, which exploded with the force of a bomb.

"Daddy!" shouted Ariel, shocked. She had never seen her father this angry. "No!"

Triton, taking no notice, simply let loose another blast of energy, and more treasures were destroyed.

"No, please!" pleaded Ariel. An entire half-decade's labor of love was disintegrating before her eyes. "Daddy, stop!"

Triton just ignored her, a merman on a mission. He pointed his trident towards more treasures. A globe exploded, paintings were ripped apart, books shredded...nothing in this cave was safe.

"Daddy, stop it!" begged Ariel, but it was all for naught. Before long, all that remained in the room was the statue of Belle in the rowboat. Triton leveled his trident at it just as Ariel figured out his intentions.

"Daddy, no...!" she screamed as she lunged for the trident, intending to knock it from Triton's hand. Too late: The trident sent forth a final burst of energy directly at the statue. With no time to do anything about it, all Ariel could do was watch as, symbolically, the love of her life was destroyed right in front of her. There would be no good-bye, no time to confess how she felt about her, no farewell kiss...just a raw, aching, soul-destroying heartbreak that Ariel saw little hope of ever healing.

As Triton's path of destruction ceased, Ariel could bear it no more, and collapsed onto a rock just in front of where the statue had been standing. Burying her face in her arms, she began to cry desperately. The sorrow and pain in her sobs soon filled the entire cavern, permeating anything that was left in it.

Triton gazed down upon his daughter's form. She was obviously demolished right now, and would need help to pick up the pieces. As he watched her grief-stricken body wrack itself with sobs and tears, he felt his own heart melt: He had been responsible for destroying her world. Would she ever forgive him? Had he unwittingly just fired the first salvo in a royal family war?

But he told himself that that didn't matter: He was a father first, and the King of the Seas. Once in a while, everyone needed to be reminded of exactly what that meant. Even, and sometimes especially, his own daughters. With that in mind, he saw no other choice but to harden his heart as best he could and be on his way. This is exactly what he did, although as he exited the cave, he couldn't stop thinking about how defeated Ariel was right now.

_I am truly sorry, Ariel,_ he thought sadly. _I wish there was another way to make you see..._

Sebastian and Flounder watched Triton take his leave with, obviously, a very heavy heart, and they felt Ariel's loss and agony come crushingly down upon them. They slowly moved towards her, wishing only to offer her what little comfort and/or help they could.

"Ariel," began Sebastian in a devastated voice, "I..."

"Just go away," whispered Ariel in between sobs. Her voice was almost nonexistent, but both of them could easily detect the firm order in her words. Sebastian, dejected, turned and slowly scuttled out of the cave. Flounder, however, was not so easily swayed.

"I can make the statue again," he offered softly. "You know how good my memory is."

"Yes," sobbed Ariel, "I know, and thank you. But not right now. Just go." She had not picked her head up even once all this time. Flounder, out of ideas, finally heeded Ariel's order and slowly swam out of the cave, leaving Ariel alone with her sadness and tears.

Unseen by all parties, two slimy green moray eels had witnessed the entire affair, and felt that the time was now right to make their presence known. So they swam down to where Ariel was grieving, eager to execute the plan for which they were sent out.

"Poor child," they said as one. "Poor, sweet child." Ariel, at this, managed to stem the flow of sobs and pick her head up, looking around the now disturbingly empty cave. Where had that voice come from? And why did it sound like there were two of it?

She quickly found her answer as her eyes fell upon the eels, swimming down towards her, then around her, as if to trap her and force her to do something horrible.

"She has a very serious problem," continued the eel which was now in front of her, with its right eye colored gold. It then swam around behind her, to be replaced by its twin, yellow left eye seeming to glow ominously in the darkness.

"If only there was something we could do to help her," hissed this eel as it went to join the other one.

"But there _is_ something..." noted the first eel, entwining itself around its twin.

Ariel knew she should be very afraid. Her sadness, pain, and anger, however, had made it impossible for her to feel fear, period. Because of this, her curiosity and desire to see Belle once again fought their way to the forefront of Ariel's consciousness, where they made themselves known via a quiet question:

"Who...Who are you?"

"Don't be scared," answered Lefty soothingly as it swam uncomfortably close to Ariel.

"We represent someone who can help you," informed Righty as it came around from Ariel's right to join its twin.

"Someone," added Lefty enticingly, "who can make all your dreams come true."

"Just imagine," they said as one, wrapping themselves around each other, almost resembling a twisted cadeuceus.

"You and your princess..." slithered Lefty.

"Together forever," they finished as one.

Ariel's heart leapt: Someone who would be willing to help her finally realize her dream? Oh, God, how long had she wanted to come across a stroke of good fortune like this?! She almost jumped at the chance, but then a thought occurred to her: If this was such a helpful creature, why enlist the aid of two obviously morally corrupt eels?

"I don't understand," she said haltingly.

"Ursula has great powers," noted Lefty. The name sparked something in Ariel's memory.

"The sea witch?" she asked softly. All the stories...horror tales, without exception...came flooding back to her. "Why, that's...I couldn't possibly...No!" she cried, a bit of courage and common sense finally trickling back into her spirit. "Get out of here! Leave me alone!" And she buried her face in her arms once more, though the tears did not return.

"Suit yourself," conceded Righty. The two eels then turned to swim away. As they made their exit, they noticed that something they could use to deliver the final blow to Ariel's resolve was laying on a rock near the entry to the cave.

"It was only a suggestion," hissed Lefty, and made its move: It used its tail to knock the object into Ariel's reach. The object flew across the cave and landed not five feet from Ariel. As it clattered to a stop, Ariel's head perked up, and she turned to regard the object: the face from the statue of Belle, completely intact. She picked it up and looked longingly, lovingly, at it, and her better judgment finally failed her, allowing her desire to be human to win through.

_Belle, I'm sorry__,_ she thought regretfully, _but I can't pass this up. It may be my last chance to ever truly be part of your world._ Gently and sadly kissing the face's lips, she turned back towards where the eels were making their exit.

"Wait," she called to them in a teary voice.

"Yes?" they hissed in unison, expectant eyes open wide, waiting for the answer they had been hoping for.

Meanwhile, outside the cave, Flounder and Sebastian were offering each other what little comfort they could.

"Poor Ariel," sniffed Flounder.

"I didn't mean to tell," put in Sebastian apologetically. "It was an accident." He made to continue speaking, but he was cut off by a shadow passing over them. He looked up and saw Ariel swimming off with two moray eels.

_What in da name of Poseidon has gotten into dat girl now?_ thought Sebastian curiously and slightly apprehensively, invoking the name of Triton's distant ancestor.

"Ariel?" he called to her. "Where are you going?" No response; Ariel simply kept swimming. Sebastian swam up to her face, desperate to find out what was going on.

"Ariel," he demanded in a whisper, "what are you doing here wit dis riffraff?" This got a reaction out of Ariel: She opened her eyes just enough to see who was speaking to her, then immediately closed them again.

"I'm going to see Ursula," she said shortly, and picked up speed.

Sebastian could not suppress a horrified gasp: It seemed that Ariel truly had lost all grasp on reason and sense. She was going to make a deal with the dreaded Sea Witch. This could not be allowed to happen; Ursula had a knack for twisting deals to her own designs.

"Ariel, no!" he cried, grabbing the tip of Ariel's caudal fin. "No! She's a demon! She's a monster!"

"Why don't you go tell my father?!" snapped Ariel bitterly, finally turning to regard Sebastian. The sorrow and hurt in her eyes coupled with the frustration and anger on her face made for a truly disturbing image; one that Sebastian would not soon forget.

"You're good at that!" she added in the same tone, except Sebastian thought he caught a hint of vengefulness in her words. At that point, Ariel gave a great snap of her tail, and Sebastian was thrown clear. Flounder swam up quickly and managed to catch him before Ariel had gained too much distance.

"But..." protested Sebastian helplessly, "but I..." He soon gave up trying to call after her, and instead turned his attention to Flounder.

"Come on!" he ordered, and the two of them swam after Ariel and the eels.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

After a fairly long time of traveling, all parties finally came upon the dankest, darkest, and most restricted part of the ocean floor: The Sea Witch's domain. Ariel, continuing to follow the eels, simply ignored the scenery and went right up to the main cave. It looked like a _Plesiosaurus _skeleton, with the maw wide open, and an ominous glow coming from inside.

Ariel, upon seeing this, almost swam off back home with all speed, but the eels caught sight of her before she could react with anything more than a flinch.

"This way," they hissed, and swam directly into the mouth of the skeleton. Ariel, being left with no other choice, timidly followed them inside. She was greeted by a field of what looked to be dead seaweed. Upon looking closer at them, however, she noticed that every single strand was in possession of eyes and what looked to be a mouth, indicating that these had been living creatures at one point or another.

Fear of becoming one of these poor souls briefly flitted across Ariel's mind, and as she reminded herself, again, that this may be a bad idea, one of the creatures stretched out and wrapped itself around Ariel's wrist. The skin...if it could be called that...was slimy, almost as much so as the eels who had led her here. As Ariel fought to free herself, many of the other nearby creatures stretched towards her as well, as if attempting to make her part of some sickening sadomasochistic activity. Who would be on the giving end, Ariel was afraid to find out. All she knew was that she would be on the receiving end, and this idea did not sit well with her, having never experienced the supposed thrill of intercourse in her life, and wanting her first time to mean something; to be truly special for herself and whoever her partner would be at the time. Terrified at the prospect at having this moment forever ripped from the realm of possibility, Ariel redoubled her efforts to free herself. With an almighty yank on the creature that was entwined around her wrist, Ariel finally managed to force the creature off her person.

As Ariel successfully freed herself, the other creatures who had stretched out retreated back to their normal lengths, as if accepting that S&M was not something to which Ariel would willingly submit. As she started looking for a possible escape route, a smooth yet sinister voice called out to her from a giant conch shell that was just barely visible at the end of the passageway.

"Come in," it requested. "Come in, my child. We mustn't lurk in doorways; it's rude." And as Ariel drew ever nearer to the conch, Ursula herself made her grand entrance. Short, slicked-back white hair crowned a truly evil-looking face. Colorless eyes gazed out almost hypnotically from underneath light blue eye shadow and penciled-on eyebrows. Ironically, there was a beauty mark on her right cheek, not far from her ruby-red lips, which only added to the contrast with her dull, insipid gray skin. She wore a golden spiral seashell necklace around her nearly nonexistent neck, and her morbidly obese body was covered from the chest down in a form-fitting jet black octodress, complete with fully sentient, though obedient, tentacles. She was truly a terrifying sight to behold, yet Ariel felt drawn to this woman, holding out hope that she would help her finally realize her dream.

"One might question your upbringing," shot Ursula with a soft cackle as Ariel finally drew to conversation distance. Ursula swam over to her vanity and began to adjust her makeup as Ariel watched, rooted to the spot.

"Now, then," began Ursula, "you're here because you have a thing for this human, this...French woman. Not that I blame you; she is quite a catch, isn't she?" With a small chuckle, Ursula grabbed some seashell lipstick and coated her lips with it before continuing:

"Well, angelfish, the solution to your problem is simple. The only way to get what you want...is to become a human yourself."

"Can you do that?" gasped Ariel in wonder. Unseen, a sly, devilishly evil, though small, smile crossed Ursula's features.

"My dear, sweet child," she began in a pseudo-sympathetic voice, "that's what I do. It's what I live for: To help unfortunate merfolk, like yourself...poor souls with no one else to turn to." Ariel could only watch as Ursula began swimming around in a manner that almost imitated a dance of some kind, singing all the while:

_I admit that in the past, I've been a nasty  
They weren't kidding when they called me, well, a witch  
But you'll find that nowadays  
I've mended all my ways  
Repented, seen the light, and made a switch_

"True? Yes," she grinned at Ariel before heading over to something that resembled a gigantic mushroom, the cap of which opened to reveal a misty substance that functioned similarly to a crystal ball, as Ariel was soon to find out.

_And I fortunately know a little magic  
It's a talent that I always have possessed  
And here lately, please, don't laugh  
I use it on behalf  
Of the miserable, lonely, and depressed_

"Pathetic," whispered Ursula to her eels before continuing:

_Poor unfortunate souls  
__In pain  
In need  
This one longing to be thinner  
That one wants to get the girl  
And do I help them? Yes, indeed_

With a snap of Ursula's fingers, the figures that had appeared in her magic mist transformed into their ideal forms, smiled at each other, and embraced.

_Those poor unfortunate souls  
So sad  
So true  
They come flocking to my cauldron  
Crying, "Spells, Ursula, please!"  
And I help them...yes, I do_

Unbeknownst to either woman, Sebastian and Flounder had finally reached Ursula's cave and were swimming towards them. They stopped at the lip of the entrance to Ursula's inner sanctum and could only watch the proceedings in shock and horror.

_Now, it's happened once or twice  
Someone couldn't pay the price  
And I'm afraid I had to rake 'em across the coals_

To further drive home her point, Ursula reached out her hand in a "cough it up" motion to the two figures. The male shook his head as if to say, "Sorry, but I got nothing." With that, Ursula clenched her hand into a fist, and a whirlwind enveloped the two figures. When it subsided, they had turned into two more of the same creatures Ariel had had her run-in with before meeting Ursula.

_Yes, I've had the odd complaint  
But on the whole, I've been a saint  
To those poor unfortunate souls_

Ursula now swam up to Ariel and put an arm around her shoulder, leading her over to where her magic mist/cauldron was positioned.

"Now, here's the deal," she began. "I will make you a potion that will turn you into a human for three days, including today. ...Got that? Three days, including today. Now, listen," she continued, taking Ariel's chin in one of her tentacles and placing it in the best position to view what Ursula would show her, "this is important. Before the sun sets on the third day, you've got to get dear young Frenchy to fall in love with you." Three suns flew out of the cauldron and back into it, swiftly followed by a book, onto which a red heart was stamped after having risen out of the cauldron.

"That is," explained Ursula, "she's got to kiss you. And not just any kiss...the kiss of true love." And at the words "true love", the heart began to glow with a radiant light, almost blinding Ariel with its brilliance.

"If," Ursula continued, "she does kiss you before the sun sets on the third day, you'll remain human permanently." And a soft orange silhouette of Ariel walking on two legs sprang forth from the cauldron. The sight gave Ariel great joy, almost as much as the statue of Belle back in the treasure cave, before her father had come along.

"But," finished Ursula, "if she doesn't," and here, the silhouette turned turquoise and sprouted a mermaid's tail, "you'll turn back into a mermaid and..._**you belong to**** me.**_"

"No, Ariel!" cried Sebastian just as the eels used their own bodies to bind and gag him and Flounder.

"Have we got a deal?" asked Ursula sweetly. Ariel considered this for a moment, and then realized something:

"If I become human..." she said slowly, "...I'll never be with my father or sisters again."

"That's right," agreed Ursula, who had backed off to sit by her cauldron. "But," she added as a reminder, "you'll have your woman. Life's full of tough choices, isn't it?" she cackled.

"Oh!" she then exclaimed, as though she had forgotten something. "And there is one more thing: We haven't discussed the subject of payment. You can't get something for nothing, you know."

"But," Ariel began, being fully aware of this, "I don't have any..."

"I'm not asking much," interrupted Ursula, "just a token, really, a trifle. You'll never even miss it. What I want from you is..." And she swam right up to Ariel's ear. "_**your**** voice,**_" she finished in a sinister whisper.

Ariel had not expected this, and it definitely threw one hell of a monkey wrench into her dream plans. She slowly brought her hand up to her throat, placing it on the area where her vocal cords were located.

"My voice?" she asked in mild shock.

"You've got it, sweetcakes," smirked Ursula, drawing the tips of her fingers across her own throat. "No more talking, singing. Zip!"

"But without my voice," Ariel started to protest, "how can I...?"

"You'll have your looks," answered Ursula, slightly irritated, "your pretty face. And don't underestimate the importance of body language, ha!" And Ursula was repulsively popping her waist back and forth as she said this before she resumed singing:

_The folk up there don't like a lot of blabber  
They think a girl who gossips is a bore  
Yes, on land, it's much preferred  
For ladies not to say a word  
And after all, dear, what is idle prattle for?_

"Come on!" she yelled as she opened her ingredient stores and began chucking the things she would need into her cauldron, vials and all.

_They're not all that impressed with conversation  
When possible, they skirt it up above  
But they dote and swoon and fawn  
On a lady who's withdrawn  
It's she who holds her tongue that gets her love_

_Come on, you poor unfortunate soul  
Go ahead  
Make your choice  
I'm a very busy woman  
And I haven't got all day  
It won't cost much, just your voice_

As Ariel watched, Belle's disembodied head rose, smiling lovingly, from the cauldron, finally coming to a stop roughly eye level with Ariel. The smile soon broke, and it mouthed the words "just your voice" as Ursula rammed her head through the apparition and it winked out of existence.

_Ya poor unfortunate soul  
It's sad  
But true  
If you want to cross a bridge, my sweet  
You've got to pay the toll  
Take a gulp and take a breath  
And go ahead and sign the scroll_

And a scroll and fish bone quill appeared from thin air in front of Ariel. The scroll read as follows:

**I hereby grant Ursula, Witch of the Sea,  
one Voice in exchange for three days as a human,  
during which I must, in order to obtain permanent humanity,  
win the true, unconditional, and undying love of the human woman, Belle Cartier.**

**Should I fail, I shall belong to Ursula...for all eternity.**

Ariel was hesitant, but she took the quill in hand and steeled herself for what she felt must be done. Ursula, meanwhile, had sidled up to the eels and whispered to them,

_Flotsam; Jetsam, now I've got her, boys  
The boss is on a roll_

_This poor  
Un-  
Fortunate  
Soul..._

Shutting her eyes and averting her face, Ariel finally affixed her signature to the contract. Upon completion of the signing, the quill disappeared from Ariel's hand and the scroll rolled itself up and floated towards Ursula, who snatched it out of the air (or water, as it were) just before it, too, vanished. With a triumphant look upon her evil features, Ursula turned her attention to the cauldron proper and began the invocation that would complete the spell:

_Beluga, Sevruga  
Come, winds of the Caspian Sea_

_Larynxis glaucitis  
Et max laryngitis  
La voce to me_

"Now..." she ordered in an evil, deadly voice, "..._sing._" Ariel, forced to fulfill her end of the bargain, obeyed, beginning to vocalize her favorite melody, the one that she had hummed on the way out of her room that morning.

"Keep singing!" yelled Ursula from her cauldron. As she spoke, and Ariel continued to vocalize, two ghostly hands formed in front of Ursula. They slowly, forebodingly, made their way to Ariel's throat, where her Adam's apple was glowing a bright green...her very voice was open for the taking. Ariel wanted nothing more than to avert her eyes, but she found herself physically unable to do so. She watched as one of the hands forced itself down her throat through her mouth and, with surprising gentility, removed her voice from her person. Ariel closed her mouth once the hand had left her body, and her singing continued to echo throughout the cavern.

_Wow,_ Ariel attempted to say out loud. _So that's what a voice looks like._ Upon realizing that she was now mute, she clutched her throat like she was choking. Attempting to take a breath proved to be a foolish option, as she merely ended up swallowing a sizable amount of seawater. Thankfully, Ariel could hold her breath for an uncommonly long time, even by mer standards. She watched as her voice was placed into the seashell necklace that Ursula wore, and heard Ursula's crazed laugh as, with Ariel's part of the bargain fulfilled, she began to work her magic.

A bubble of air surrounded Ariel, so as to allow her to breathe, and Ariel felt some small jolts of pain from being jerked around within the bubble as the magic took place. Before long, she felt her tail split completely in half, turning into human legs. Ariel would have let out a scream of joy if she'd had a voice to use, which was just as well, because upon completion of the spell, the bubble burst, and the water closed back in around Ariel. Knowing she needed to find oxygen very soon, Ariel attempted to swim for the surface, but human legs are a poor swimming substitute for a good, strong tail. Ariel found this out the hard way, unable to make any progress upwards: Without her tail, she was helpless in the water.

Sebastian and Flounder, having been released from Flotsam and Jetsam's grip, realized this, and took immediate action. They swam over to Ariel and each took an appropriate position (Sebastian grabbed her wrist and Flounder snuggled up into Ariel's armpit), and, with Ursula cackling like the madwoman she had revealed herself to be, they helped Ariel make tracks for the surface of the water, Ariel kicking her feet in a front-crawl fashion for all she was worth the whole way. The distance was greater than anticipated, however, and Ariel felt herself running out of air towards the end, but light and oxygen were barely ten feet above her...She had to get there...She had to...

And she finally broke the surface and gulped down lungfuls of air like it was...well, air. Exhausted from her whole ordeal, she was helped to the shore by Sebastian and Flounder to relax her tired muscles and regain a little bit of energy.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

When Ariel next came to, she was draped over the rock behind which she had hidden on the day she saved Belle's life. She opened her eyes and all she saw was red. Quickly realizing that the red was her own hair, she put it back into place and put her back against the rock, bringing her legs to such a position that her knees were up and out of the water. Wait..._knees?_ And sure enough, that's what they were. Ariel lifted a leg out of the water to see what was up, and sure enough, where her tail used to be, there was a pair of fully functional human legs. Awe, wonder, and joy bubbled up from inside Ariel's soul at such a rate that if she'd still had a voice, she'd surely have used it to yell for joy. She flexed the toes and twisted the ankles...everything seemed to check out fine.

_Thank you, Ursula,_ she thought gratefully, _but if there's a next time, I'm doing this my way. _At that time, a familiar voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Well," it called from the sky, "look at what the catfish dragged in." She turned towards the source of the voice and saw Scuttle flying towards her. He landed with a little thump on her legs and grinned at her.

"Look at you!" he marveled. "Look at you! There's something different." Ariel nodded, smiling.

"Don't tell me," he requested. Then, after a short time: "I got it. It's your hairdo, right? You've been usin' the dinglehopper, right?" Ariel shook her head, though her smile did not fade.

"No?" he surmised. "No, huh? Well, lemme see..." And he grabbed Ariel's toes with one wing and thought some more before another idea came to him:

"New seashells?" he tried, pointing to her bra. Ariel rolled her eyes and bit her bottom lip gently.

"No new seashells," he deduced, deciding to try another tack. "I gotta admit, I can't put my foot on it right now," and Ariel started bouncing one leg (on which Scuttle was perched) up and down, "but if I just stand here long enough..."

"SHE'S GOT LEGS, YOU IDIOT!" yelled Sebastian at the top of his lungs, frustrated and annoyed. "She traded her voice to da Sea Witch and got legs! Geez, mon!"

"I knew that," lied Scuttle easily.

"Ariel's been turned into a human," added Flounder in wonder as Ariel attempted to stand up. "She's gotta make this girl fall in love with her, and they've gotta kiss," he explained as Ariel fought to find her center of balance. She was quite spaghetti-legged, however, and it took a fairly long while, but she finally got it down.

"And she's only got three days!" cried Sebastian as this was going on. Right then, Ariel tried to take a step and lost her balance immediately, falling over the three creatures with a profound splash which drenched all three of them. Ariel was quick to recover, though, and she was soon upright again.

"Just look at her!" Sebastian rallied on as Ariel found her footing. "On legs! On human legs! My nerves are shot! Dis is a catastrophe! What would her fader say?! I'll tell you what her fader'd say! He'd say he's gonna kill himself a crab!" he yelled, grabbing Flounder by the cheeks. "That's what her fader'd say! I'm gonna march meself straight home right now and tell 'im just like I shoulda done the minute..."

Ariel heard this and felt a jolt of panic. Not wishing for Sebastian to get hurt, or any of her friends, for that matter, she scooped Sebastian up from the water and rapidly shook her head no.

"And don't you shake your head at me, young lady!" scolded Sebastian. As Ariel's face began to show a trace of full-blown fear, an idea occurred to him.

"Maybe dere's still time," he mused. "If we could get dat witch to give you back your voice, you could go home with all de normal fish and just be...Just be..." His voice trailed off as he saw how hurt Ariel looked at that point. It was almost like the face of a cat that was looking for attention.

"...just be miserable for de rest of your life," admitted Sebastian, defeated. "All right, all right, I'll try to help ya find dat girl."

The joy from earlier came back in spades, and Ariel kissed Sebastian's cheek with a huge smile on her face.

"Boy," observed Sebastian as Ariel put him down, "what a soft shell I'm turning out to be."

"Now, Ariel," Scuttle cut in from over where a sail had washed up on shore, "I'm tellin' ya, if you wanna be a human, the first thing ya gotta do is dress like one. Let me see..." And Scuttle set to work with the sail.

* * *

Meanwhile, Belle had just come out of the water not far from where Ariel had surfaced, and was now drying off in the warm sun laying on a beach towel. Normally, she'd be super-relaxed after a good hard swim, not thinking about a whole lot, but for a month and change now, she hadn't been able to stop thinking about her savior, and her singing.

_That voice..._ she thought slowly. _I can't get it out of my head. I've looked everywhere, damn it; where could she be?_ Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw a flash of movement which drew her attention. She looked towards it...and could not believe what she was seeing. There she was: Her rescuer from a month ago, if her theory were right. She took off her sunglasses, afraid that it might be a mirage, and when the woman did not disappear, Belle's heart filled with joy.

"It's you..." she breathed as she got up from her towel and slowly started to make her way over to the woman.

BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB

"Ya look great, kid," complimented Scuttle with a wolf whistle. "Ya look sensational."

And even wearing nothing but a sail crudely wrapped around her body and held in place by a hastily tied knot, Ariel did, indeed, look stunning. Just then, she heard a voice coming from behind her:

"It's you, it's you!"

As Ariel whipped around to regard the voice, Flounder dove back underwater and Sebastian jumped into Ariel's canvas "robe" as Scuttle flew off. Ariel's heart almost exploded with excitement: There was the woman she loved, dressed in a simple one-piece violet swimsuit, running at her with arms wide open. Ariel flung her own arms wide and began to make her way towards Belle.

"Oh, my goodness," cried Belle as they reached each other and she wrapped her rescuer in a close embrace, "it's really you!" Belle felt her return the hug and a kind of peace came over her: Her savior remembered her. Oh, if only she could kiss her right here and now!

After a few seconds, they separated enough to look each other in the eyes.

"How have you been this past month?" Belle could not stop herself from asking, and the woman flashed a big smile, revealing almost, if not, perfect teeth, pearly-white and gleaming.

"Good, good," continued Belle. "Oh, where are my manners?" she asked herself, blushing. "I'm Belle Cartier. What's your name?"

_Ariel,_ Ariel tried to say, but then she remembered: No voice, no ease of communication. But, thankfully, she could play charades like no other in Atlantica. So she pointed to her throat and made a back-and-forth motion with the tips of her fingers.

"Oh..." said Belle sadly, "you're mute? By which I mean, you can't speak?" she added just in case, for the woman had looked like she was going to raise a quizzical eyebrow. She nodded just as sadly.

"Blast it," mused Belle to herself. "Then you couldn't be who I thought. But it's so weird; you look exactly like her!" The woman sighed deeply. Then, her face brightened, and she started miming the important things about how she had gotten here in the first place.

"Wait," guessed Belle, "you need help? You're hurt?" The woman shook her head no both times.

"If only you could speak," lamented Belle, "I'm no good at charades!" And the woman clapped a hand to her forehead.

"OK, now _that, _even I recognize," laughed Belle. "Well, come with me; I'll see if I can't find you some help...and some clothes." The woman smiled appreciatively, taking Belle's hand and kissing it.

"You know, a surprising amount of people have been doing that to me lately," chuckled Belle. "It's actually kind of refreshing, to be honest."

Out of nowhere, the woman then leaned in and pecked Belle on the cheek.

"Whoa!" she cried, laughing. "Well, I can safely say that not very many people have done _that_ to me recently. OK, seriously, let's get you back to my place. Follow me." The woman obeyed.

As Belle led the woman back to the mansion, she touched the spot on her cheek where she had been kissed moments before.

_Wow,_ she marveled. _A simple peck on the cheek feels like that? Man, even if she's not the one I'm looking for, there might be something about this woman..._

* * *

A/N: And we thought the last chapter was massive. HOLY ROMULUS, I'M ALMOST AFRAID TO LOOK AT THE WORD COUNT. But the good news is Ariel and Belle are finally together. Now, with no voice and only her charade skills going for her, Ariel's got to find a way to win Belle's heart. Can she do it?

NOTE: The text on the scroll that Ariel signs is almost completely stolen from XavierHaven's "Beauty and the Mermaid" on DeviantArt, which is half of what inspired this story. Go check it out. It's kinda simplistic (no offense), but it does get the story told, and that's what's important.

TBC...


	3. Chapter 3: Day One - Be Our Guest

**Chapter 3: Day One - Be Our Guest**

Belle, with Ariel in tow, led her gently through the front doors to the mansion. Upon entering, Ariel started to marvel at how grand everything looked...the staircase, the tiled floors, the vaulted ceilings...it was almost like being back in Atlantica. She could not prevent a look of wonder from crossing her face.

Belle, observant as ever, caught this.

"You like what you see?" she asked kindly. Ariel responded via an excited nod.

"Oh, good," Belle grinned. "Welcome to my humble abode." Ariel took on a skeptical look at the word "humble".

"OK," admitted Belle, "I'll give you that one. A little opulent, but seeing as how I inherited a prince's wait staff, I was kind of left with no choice," she finished with a laugh.

_She inherited a prince's wait staff? _thought Ariel, astounded. _I'd love to know how she pulled THAT off._

"It's a long story," said Belle, as if reading Ariel's thoughts, "and one that I'd rather not go into right now. Anyways, let's get you cleaned up and find you some clothes. Once that's done..." Belle swept an arm over the view that was in front of both women. "..._mi casa es su casa._"

Ariel looked at Belle quizzically, not understanding her use of a common Spanish phrase.

"Huh?" asked Belle. Then it hit her. "Oh, that's Spanish for 'my home is your home'." Ariel smiled her understanding, and Belle continued:

"Once you're cleaned up, help yourself to anything you want in the kitchen; Lumiere and Mrs. Potts will take care of you. If you need me, come find me; I'll be around. Would you like me to show you the bathroom?" Ariel nodded her agreement, and Belle led her up the grand staircase to the second floor. Turning right, in the opposite direction of her own room, they went through the door immediately in front of them, after which Belle opened the first door on the left.

"This will be your bathroom for as long as you stay," explained Belle. "Odd question, I know, but do you know how to work everything in here?" Ariel, deciding that honesty was the best policy, shook her head no.

"OK, then I'll walk you through it," began Belle. She led Ariel over to the white marble bathtub and did just that, explaining as she went how everything worked: the taps, the bubbly solution, the drain, even the shampoo, conditioner, and body wash bottles. When she had finished, she asked Ariel if she wanted a demonstration or to try it herself. Ariel pointed at Belle, and Belle drew Ariel a good-size bath.

"...And that's all there is to it," she finished. "Really simple. OK, I'll leave you to it. When you finish up, come to my bedroom and I'll help you find some clothes. Opposite side of this floor, second door on your right." Giving a small curtsy, which Ariel returned, Belle left the room. Ariel wasted no time in shedding the sail and jumping into the bubbles, spending most of her bath just playing around with them. Eventually, however, most of them were gone, and Ariel realized she better get to stepping. Calling upon all Belle had told her, she was soon squeaky clean.

Belle soon heard a knock on her bedroom door.

_I hope she remembered to cover up,_ thought Belle nervously. Cracking the door, she saw, to her embarrassment, that Ariel had not covered up...at least, not with a towel.

_Mon Dieu,_ Belle reprimanded herself, _that's what I forgot to tell her: where the towels were. Oh, well, she's already here; may as well get her dressed._ Opening her door the rest of the way, Belle beheld Ariel in almost all her glory...and, it was easy for Belle to see, that was quite some glory: Ariel was in possession of a heavenly figure, with perfect curves in all the right places, and none where they shouldn't have been. Not to mention, she was quite well-toned despite her almost Liquid Paper-white complexion. It was obvious to Belle that this woman definitely kept in shape.

"I hate to be so forward," apologized Belle, leading Ariel to the closet, "but I have to ask: How do you keep in such great shape?"

Ariel, thinking fast, ran behind a nearby screen so only her silhouette was visible, and mimed swimming as best she could. Knowing quite a few strokes, she chose the front crawl, and set her arms into that motion.

"You swim?" Ariel nodded as she came out from behind the screen, covered up again as much as was possible.

"You must do a lot of it," marveled Belle as she threw open the closet. Gesturing to Ariel, she said, "See anything you like?"

Ariel's eyes immediately fell upon a very feminine pink gown with white trim. She grabbed it (Belle averted her eyes from Ariel's nude form as best she could) and placed it in front of herself, giving Belle a preview of how it might look on her.

"Looks like it would be a perfect fit," agreed Belle, "but that's a more formal dress. You can wear that for dinner, but for now, we should find you something you can be comfortable in." And her eyes found a simple two-tone blue shirt and long skirt, of yet another shade of blue. She grabbed each and placed them in front of Ariel, judging by eye how it would fit.

"Seems to look good on you," she decided. "What do you think?" Ariel nodded with a smile, and, before Belle could say anything else, ran behind the screen once again, then gestured for Belle to bring the clothes over. Belle did this, and before she knew it, out walked Ariel, looking very much at ease and appreciative of the new clothes. As Belle watched, Ariel, calling upon her experience with deaf merfolk, placed the tips of her fingers on her chin, then moved them outwards a short distance. Belle recognized it as the sign among deaf people for 'thank you'.

"You're quite welcome," she said with a giggle. "Can you sign anything else?" Ariel, a look of sadness crossing her face, slowly shook her head no.

_Oh, this is not going to be easy_, thought Belle, _is it? _It was about that time that there came a knock on the front door to the mansion.

"Oh, I have to go get that," sighed Belle. "Will you be OK on your own from here? There should be some black footwear in the closet where we just were; you'll probably know it when you see it. Kitchen is on the ground floor, door behind the staircase, take a left, door at the end of the hall. Don't be afraid if you come across a talking candelabra or a talking clock; that's Lumiere and Cogsworth, respectively. They'll set you up right. Enjoy yourself." And Belle was about to walk out the door when a thought occurred to her: She should return the gesture that was given to her on the beach; after all, it was only polite to respond in kind. Still, she didn't want to make things any more awkward, so she decided to ask first.

"Erm...Random question," she began. "You kissed my cheek back on the beach. ...Is it OK if I return the favor?" she finished sheepishly, barely meeting Ariel's eyes. A humongous grin crossed Ariel's face as she nodded and angled her left cheek towards Belle, who decorated it with a tender kiss. As her soft pink lips made contact with Ariel's pale skin, a legitimate spark was felt by both women. Not painful, but tingly, comparable to the sensation of Pop Rocks in one's mouth. When Belle pulled away, they caught themselves staring at each other for a few seconds, Belle wondering if she should move in for a full-on kiss.

Another knock at the front door sounded, and it seemed to be getting impatient.

"Oh, right," stammered Belle, "door. See you in a bit." The moment broken, Belle made her exit from the room.

Ariel felt the spot on her cheek where Belle's lips had just been, and smiled inwardly.

_Well,_ she thought happily, _definitely a step in the right direction; I felt the love in that kiss. She definitely has feelings for me; hopefully, I can help her to realize that before the three days are up._ With that, she made her way to the thing Belle had called a "closet", opened it, and immediately spotted the black footwear Belle had mentioned: a pair of black flat shoes (though Ariel did not know that was their name). She put them on, thankfully on the right feet, and began to make her way down to the kitchen.

She had barely entered the foyer, however, when she heard a big, booming, unmistakably male voice floating up from the front door of the mansion.

"You had to know I'd find you eventually, Belle," it was saying. "After all, I am 'Grade-A' husband material!" She looked down towards the source of the voice and saw a very handsome, muscle-bound young man with slicked-back, jet black hair, dressed in a red polo shirt and khaki shorts, carrying...something...strapped to his back. Ariel had no clue what this was, but just looking at it made her uneasy. Also, judging by the way he had spoken, this man was obviously full of himself and arrogant. And he was chasing after Belle, too? No contest; Belle was sure to pick Ariel over this buffoon any day of the week...wasn't she?

"Well, Gaston," replied Belle, "that depends on what the 'A' stands for: Abhorrent, audacious, antipathetic..." And her voice trailed off in triumph, a triumph that Ariel also felt course through her at those words.

"Why, thank you, Belle!" boomed this...'Gaston'. "And may I say I think you're quite arboraceous yourself?"

Ariel had seen, and heard, enough. Thinking fast, as she had back when trying to figure out how to answer Belle's question about her body without embarrassing herself, Ariel silently darted for the bathroom, where she found a bucket. Filling it with water, she then made her way back to the foyer, where Gaston now had Belle backed up against a wall. Though Ariel knew Belle could handle herself, she was already sick of Gaston. So she stood on the balcony directly over him, held the bucket out over his head, turned it upside down, and then dropped it.

"You know, Belle," Gaston said smoothly, "I hear you're still upset over losing your father. I don't blame you; I was also quite sad when I lost my own father. But I quickly learned that the best way to quickly heal any wound..." He paused for dramatic effect. "...is a spot of pleasurable company."

Belle, inwardly disgusted, but still managing to keep a placating smile on her face, was about to call out Gaston on his obvious improper adjective usage, when a cascade of cold water came crashing down on his head. He looked up, anger easily visible on his face, only to see the bucket that had held the water following close behind. A look of shock, fear, and surprise crossed his impossibly handsome features just before it vanished, hidden behind a mask of wooden planks and metal brace bands. Obviously dazed, Gaston attempted to remove the bucket from his head, but encountered some difficulty due to dizziness from the impact.

Seizing the opportunity, Belle wasted no time or motion, bringing her knee up swiftly and powerfully into Gaston's groin area. He dropped to his knees from the blow, and was rendered unable to speak. Belle dragged him by the collar on his polo to the door and gently set him on the front step.

"You may think you're all that," she shot at him, not bothering to hide her irritation this time, "but you're not." With those words, she walked back inside the mansion, slammed the door shut, and locked it tightly. When she looked back towards the staircase, there was Ariel coming towards her with a smile on her face. Belle instantly got a feeling she knew what had gone down.

"The water and bucket..." she said slowly. "Was that you?" Ariel nodded, obviously proud of herself.

"You know," mused Belle as she walked towards Ariel, "I think you and I are going to get along just fine." Laughing, she embraced Ariel and pecked her on the opposite cheek; Ariel did likewise.

"I've got to figure out a way to repay you for your help with that boor of a man," Belle thought out loud. "I could kiss you..." Ariel felt her heart skip a beat, and excitement exploded within her in anticipation: This was going to be easier than she thought.

Or maybe not.

"...wait, no, that's far too bold and way too forward," Belle scolded herself.

_No, it's not!_ thought Ariel, frustrated. _Damn it, I love you! Gah, I hate this "mute" thing!_ And she watched as Belle paced back and forth in front of her, going through a list of gifts she could give as payment for Ariel's help, becoming more and more desperate with each suggestion.

At last, after what seemed like forever, Belle finally hit on an idea that she thought might work.

"Miss..." she began. "...Do you like stories?" Ariel nodded emphatically, smiling.

"Whew!" sighed Belle in relief. "That makes things much easier. To the library!"

* * *

Gaston, meanwhile, had finally regained his senses and removed the bucket from his head. Looking disdainfully at the mansion door, he realized he had been defeated...this time. But it wouldn't do him any good to march back in the house angry; Belle definitely would not heed his advances then. He decided to go blow off some steam on the beach.

Skipping rocks along the ocean surface, he felt his anger slowly slip away. But just as he was about to begin planning his next move, he saw something shoot up out of the water and catch the last rock he had thrown in mid-skip...something black. He watched in amazement and horror as a repugnant woman/octopus..._thing_...slithered out of the water and directly towards him.

"Gaston Cousteau?" she asked him in a slimy voice that matched her appearance perfectly.

"...Yes..." squeaked Gaston. "That's me."

"Oh, don't be so frightened, Mr. YMCA," laughed the woman, "I'm here to help you out!"

"Oh, is that so?" queried Gaston with a raised eyebrow. "You seem to know a fair amount of me...even down to my fanhood of the Village People...but I'm almost certain we've never met. Who are you?"

"Oh, where are my manners?" she admonished herself. "Name's Ursula the Sea Witch, and have I got a deal for you, Macho Man."

"You do, do you?" pressed Gaston, intrigued. "I'm listening."

"Of course you are," chuckled Ursula. "Now, here's the situation as I see it: You want Belle all to yourself, correct?"

"Correct," confirmed Gaston.

"Well, what you don't know," informed Ursula, "is that there's a little redheaded mute tramp in your way."

"How do you know this?" asked Gaston, confused: He had yet to lay eyes on Ariel.

"Because I helped her get there before I knew you were in the picture," confessed Ursula.

"Are you sure it was **before** you knew I existed?" interrogated Gaston, his voice...and anger...rising.

"If I'm lying," promised Ursula, "I'm dying."

"And yet you stand here before me," finished Gaston, "alive and breathing."

"Ah, good," praised Ursula, "you _do_ have some brains. Now, check this out: That mute redhead I mentioned earlier?"

"Yes?"

"Let me tell you something about her that will REALLY make your day..."

GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG

"_**SHE'S A**** WHAT?!**_" yelled Gaston when Ursula had finished.

"It's true," slithered Ursula. "You're a hunter who kills creatures for sport and profit, right? You put two and two together and tell me what you get."

Gaston obeyed, and a world of possibilities opened up to him, all of which ended in Ariel's corpse being sold to the highest bidder, and Belle left with no choice but to remain on his arm as his wife. Ursula swore she saw Gaston's eyes change to money symbols and a wedding band, respectively. It was actually quite amusing.

"And you say you can help me make this happen?" he asked greedily, with a smile to match.

"All you have to do is wait until the evening after tomorrow," explained Ursula. "You'll have your mermaid, I'll attack Belle, you pretend to save me from her, she falls in love, and BAM! You're off to the races!"

"Madam Ursula," said Gaston triumphantly, extending his hand, "you have a deal." Ursula took his hand and gave it a firm shake.

"Remember," reminded Ursula as she went back into the ocean, "the evening after tomorrow is when we make our move!"

"I'll be there," promised Gaston as he also made his exit, beginning to make his way to the local tavern.

_A mermaid,_ thought Gaston greedily. _How about that? That would be worth some serious moolah, especially to the right buyer. _And Gaston let out his best evil laugh, one of which Ursula herself would have been proud.

* * *

"Nobody in Atlantica has seen her since yesterday," reported the little seahorse sadly to King Triton. "She wasn't in her bed last night, and she's nowhere to be found within Atlantica."

Triton received the news with a broken heart. He had destroyed Ariel so thoroughly, he had driven her not only out of his life, but out of his kingdom, as well. This was all his fault.

Well, Zeus help him, if Ariel's disappearance was his fault, then damn it, he was going to do whatever it took to put it right.

But first, she had to be found.

"Send our patrols to all corners of the ocean," he ordered the seahorse solemnly. "Leave no coral reef unexplored; leave no air pocket unchecked. Please..." he pleaded desperately, "...find my daughter. Bring Ariel back to me...dead or alive."

"Yes, sir," acquiesced the seahorse with a sad salute, and swum out of Triton's chambers.

_Oh, Ariel,_ thought Triton dejectedly, _I've been a fool. No more than you, but I've been a fool. I was so scared of you going astray that I drove you astray._ And, checking to see whether he was all alone, (which he was) he slowly left his chair and swam to his private garden, which was a lovely shade of sea green, dotted with pinks, yellows, and blues from all the different plants (and some animals) that he kept well-tended out here.

In the center of it all was a larger-than-life statue of his late wife, Queen Athena, looking as regal...and beautiful...as she had in life. In her hands rested the music box that Triton himself had fashioned and given to her just before she had been killed.

"Athena..." he said softly to the statue. "Our youngest daughter is nowhere to be found. I've sent out patrols, but I'm so scared for her...I don't know what else to do." And with those words, Triton, King of the Seas and distant, though direct, descendant of the almighty Poseidon, did something that he had not done since the day his wife had died, almost ten years ago.

He buried his face in his hands...and bawled his heart out.

* * *

Back on the surface, Ariel and Belle had made their way to the mansion library. Belle threw open the doors to reveal more books than either woman had imagined could fit in one building, let alone one room. The room itself took up both floors of its blueprint section of the mansion, with high, vaulted ceilings, like the rest of the mansion, and the walls were painted a deep turquoise, reminding Ariel of the sea. She truly felt at home in here.

Belle also felt at peace here, and she said as much to Ariel, who nodded her agreement.

"Although I should confess," added Belle, "I've never actually looked through this entire collection before, so I don't really know what's here. Should we split up?" Ariel nodded, but indicated her inability to speak as a reminder to Belle.

"Oh, that's right, too," remembered Belle. "Well, how about this: Take this whistle..." And she pulled the aforementioned object from a pocket, showed Ariel how to use it, and handed it to her. "If you find a book you like, take it, blow that whistle, and I'll meet you back here." Ariel nodded her understanding and walked off, losing herself in the spines of the more than six thousand books that made up the contents of this library. Belle went off in the other direction and did likewise. After a long time, though it felt like no time at all to Belle, the piercing shriek of the whistle she had given Ariel filled the library. Belle immediately made her way to the central area where she and Ariel had separated, and there was Ariel, clutching a golden book in her hands like it was a priceless treasure.

"I take it you found a good one?" asked Belle. "Let's see it."

_Not only a good one,_ thought Ariel excitedly, _but the only one I've yet to read in my favorite series!_ And she handed the book to Belle, who took it and looked at the cover. It depicted a young elfish man with blond hair, dressed in the green of the forest, sword raised high above his head, shield in the other hand. He looked ready for a fight. A silhouette of a feminine-looking person was just barely visible behind him. The title of the book was stitched in red below the picture, with the subtitle in a decreasing blue gradient: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.

"Oh, my stars!" cried Belle with unabashed joy. "I've been looking everywhere for this book! This is my favorite series, and the only book in it I haven't read yet!" With those words, Belle was almost knocked over as Ariel leapt upon her in a tight embrace, smothering her cheek with kisses, dangerously close to Belle's mouth. Belle actually thought, for one heart-stopping moment, that Ariel actually _did_ make contact with her lips just before she relinquished the embrace.

"Are you and I in the same boat," queried Belle excitedly, "pardon the expression?" Ariel nodded so vigorously, Belle thought her head was going to come off her shoulders.

"Well, OK, then," breathed Belle. "What do you say I read it to you and we experience it together?" Ariel gestured to a pair of chairs that were placed beside a grand window. Belle led Ariel over to them, and they sat down across from each other, and facing each other. Ariel leaned forward expectantly and excitedly; Belle wasted no time in opening up the book and beginning to read the prologue:

"_This is a tale that you humans have passed down through uncounted generations..._"

* * *

Meanwhile, Sebastian had found his way to the kitchen, unseen by both women, and was in for the surprise of his life, little did he know it. He knocked on the door with one claw, not expecting a reaction. But he got one: The kitchen door slowly opened. Sebastian could not suppress a startled squeak, but he made his way inside. Climbing on the center cooking line, he took a look around.

"Is anybody in here?" he called out as bravely as he could manage.

"I am," answered a gentle female voice from right next to him. Sebastian jumped about an inch off the ground, then looked towards the source of the voice: All he saw was a teapot.

"Very funny," Sebastian grumped, thinking this was an act of ventriloquism. "Probably dis human woman, dis 'Belle' practicing a trick she'll play on Ariel later today."

"Mademoiselle Cartier is no trickster," scolded the voice, and now, Sebastian actually saw the teapot moving by itself. It turned towards him to reveal a face, which looked quite cross.

"She's a lovely young woman," it said. "You should take the time to get to know her."

"WHAT?!" cried Sebastian. "You can...you can..._talk?!_ But you...Mon, you're a..."

"A teapot," finished the teapot, "yes, I know. Most of the normally inanimate objects in this mansion can talk, and have wonderful personalities. Long story, won't bore you with the details. I'm Mrs. Angela Potts. What's your name?" she finished politely.

"Uh...Sebastian," he admitted in shock.

"Lumiere?" called Mrs. Potts. "Cogsworth? Come meet this lovely young crab." Right on cue, a candelabra and a clock appeared as if from nowhere, and both said hello to Sebastian.

This was too much to take in all at once, and Sebastian fainted on the spot.

"Oh, dear," said Lumiere sadly. "Perhaps we were a bit too forward?"

"Perhaps," answered Cogsworth. "Still, we should get him out of here before he gets hurt; we do have to prepare dinner, after all, and seafood is not on the menu tonight. Let's bring him up to the guest room."

* * *

"_Now,_" finished Belle while Sebastian was being cared for by the wait staff, "_a new legend bound to this great story stands ready to be revealed. A legend that will be forged by your own hand._" And she looked at Ariel, who had the most beautiful smile on her face that Belle had ever seen.

"Well, that's the prologue," she said. "I've got nothing to do all day; shall we keep going until dinner?" Ariel nodded; she obviously wanted to get as much of the experience in as possible. Belle would oblige her for the next several hours, until...

_Link and Zelda...or, rather, Hylia, stood alone atop the statue in the Temple of Hylia. As Link played the last few notes of the Ballad of the Goddess on the harp given him by Zelda so long ago, Zelda...she would always be Zelda to Link...looked towards him, and a kind of peace came upon her beautiful face._

_"Look around us," she said happily to Link. "As a child, I always dreamed of a world below. I wanted to see the surface with my own eyes and feel the land's warm breeze on my skin. I...I think I want to live here," she admitted._

_"Zelda," reminded Link, "that decision is yours alone to make. I feel the need to warn you, however, a life down here will not be easy. Even with Demise permanently defeated, his minions and allies still permeate every corner of this world. They will not rest until their leader is avenged."_

_"I know this, Link," answered Zelda, "but I also know I can do it. I always want to feel solid ground beneath my feet, see the clouds above my head, and watch over the Triforce." And she gestured to the three legendary golden equilateral triangles which were floating just behind them._

_"As I said," conceded Link, "it is your choice."_

_"What about you, Link?" asked Zelda expectantly. "What will you do now?"_

_An easy smile graced Link's face as he delivered the answer he had been waiting to give her for so long:_

_"If you don't mind, I'd like to stay with you here. You may be powerful, Your Grace, but even you need protecting. And I want to be the one who watches over you, and to keep you safe...Long story short, I don't ever want us to be separated again."_

_"Oh, Link..." Zelda gushed lovingly._

_"Seeing you enter that crystal slumber," continued Link, his eyes beginning to water, "and just letting it happen, was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. You were safe in my arms for all of five minutes, and then I lost you again. I can't go through that, even one more time. Zelda...I need you. ...I love you."_

_"And..." answered Zelda slowly, placing a gentle hand on Link's cheek, "...I love you. I want you always at my side."_

_"Your wish is my command," answered Link honestly._

_"Then," commanded Zelda, "let me do something I should have done long ago." And with those honest, loving words, Zelda slowly leaned in and kissed Link; a gentle, meaningful, sincere act of love that would last for all eternity. As their lips touched for the first time, the Triforce, unseen by either of them, began to flash even more brilliantly than was normal. It was a message to all on the surface world...a signal of the beginnings of the first Royal Family. And when Link and Zelda finally broke the kiss, they looked off into the distance, the Triforce gleaming behind them, knowing that whatever dangers came their way, they would face and overcome it together._

_And their love would endure forever._

"...The End," finished Belle happily as she closed the book. Ariel, with tears in her eyes, gave a rapid and heartfelt round of applause.

"What a wonderful story, don't you think?" Belle asked, drying her own eyes on her sleeve. Ariel nodded in agreement. Then, as if remembering something, she glanced over towards the door, above which a clock was placed.

"Oh, my," gasped Belle, "yes, it's almost time for dinner! You remember where that dress you wanted was?" Ariel nodded.

"OK," instructed Belle, "go and put it on; I have to talk to the kitchen staff. Once I finish with them, I'll meet you at the door to the dining room. Entrance hall, ground floor, large double doors directly to the right of the staircase. Can you remember that?" Ariel nodded eagerly.

"Good," answered Belle, "then I'll see you in a few minutes!" And with those words, she dashed off out of the library. Ariel followed suit and made her way up to Belle's bedroom, changed into the dress in a matter of seconds, grabbed the same flats she had been wearing earlier, and proceeded to the double doors that Belle had mentioned. Almost as soon as she reached them, Belle came out dressed in a simple pink and purple pastel-shaded strapless dress with her hair pulled back into its usual ponytail. Ariel was blown away by her simple elegance, and the fact that she had elected not to use makeup of any kind only made her all the more stunning. Sculpted, yet feminine shoulders were just barely visible, and a small pink bow was just barely visible at the choke point of Belle's hair.

"You look so wonderful," she said to Ariel, walking up to her and kissing her hand tenderly. Ariel gave a silent giggle and opened the door, gesturing for Belle to lead the way, which she did.

"Oh, I should warn you," remembered Belle as they reached the table, "all of my wait staff are...well...people that have been transformed into objects," she admitted, seeing no easy way to say it. Ariel raised a quizzical eyebrow and spun a finger around in front of Belle's left temple.

"No, I'm not," laughed Belle. "I'm serious. You see those candles in the center of the table?" And she pointed out a gold-plated candelabra in that exact spot. Ariel nodded, unsure of what to expect.

"Lumiere," called Belle, "it's showtime."

"And so it is," agreed Lumiere, who revealed himself to be the candelabra on the table. Ariel almost jumped out of her skin.

"Don't be scared," reassured Belle. "Just act natural; remember, these are people that have been turned into objects. Powerful magic spell; long story." Ariel shrugged her shoulders and gave a polite curtsy to Lumiere.

"_Bonsoir, mademoiselle,_" he replied in French. "It is with deepest pride and greatest pleasure that we welcome you tonight. And now..." and here, a chair slid itself underneath Ariel, who sat down gingerly.

"...we invite you to relax; let us pull up a chair," finished Lumiere with a flourish, "as the dining room proudly presents...your dinner."

"Watch this," suggested Belle, who had sat down at the head of the table, on Ariel's left. "This is wonderful; only here will you see anything like this." Ariel watched, amazed, as Lumiere's rich French singing filled the room.

_Be...  
Our...  
Guest_

_Be our guest  
Put our service to the test  
Tie your napkin around your neck, _cherie  
_And we provide the rest_

Belle, having already taken care of her own napkin, helped Ariel with hers. Ariel, meanwhile, was lost in the music and Lumiere's singing.

_Soup du jour, hot hors d'oeuvres  
Why, we only live to serve!  
Try the grey stuff; it's delicious_

And he offered a platter to Ariel with several of said hors d'oeuvres placed upon it. Belle gestured towards a swirl of a strange-looking gray substance, and looked at Ariel as if to say, "Go on." Slowly, gingerly, Ariel reached out a finger and took some of it...it felt like the gel she sometimes put in her hair back in Atlantica. Apprehensive, Ariel put the substance in her mouth...and her face immediately lit up: It was, indeed, scrumptious.

_Don't believe me? Ask the dishes!_

And a pair of plates, some silverware, and two wineglasses hopped up onto the table and rolled their way to in front of Ariel and Belle, where they arranged themselves properly, and set themselves down.

_They can sing; they can dance_

"After all, Miss," added Lumiere slyly, "we're from France!"

_And a dinner here is never second-best_

Lumiere grabbed a pair of menus and handed one to each woman.

"Do as I do," whispered Belle, and began to look through the choices.

_Go on, unfold your menu  
Take a glance  
And then you'll be our guest  
_Oui, _our guest  
Be our guest_

And a selection of platters, each with a main course upon it, hopped along in front of Ariel and Belle like an assembly line, and each woman took a taste of whatever looked most appetizing as the line moved along.

_Beef ragout, cheese souffle  
Pie and pudding "en flambe"  
We'll prepare and serve with flair  
A culinary cabaret!_

On cue, a spotlight came down on a punch bowl, into which a few dozen spoons jumped and performed a synchronized swimming routine. Ariel was fascinated, and could not tear her eyes away.

_You're with friends; don't be scared  
'Cause the banquet's all prepared  
No one's gloomy or complaining  
While the flatware's entertaining_

_We tell jokes; I do tricks  
With my fellow candlesticks_

And a small crowd of beersteins jumped up on the table, sloshing their contents onto the wood as they belted:

Und _it's all in perfect taste  
That, you can bet_

And Lumiere joined back in, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with a beerstein which jumped on a seesaw and sent another one flying onto another seesaw, beginning a chain reaction which went the length of the table.

_Come on and lift your glass  
You've won your own free pass  
To be our guest_

"If you're stressed," advised Lumiere to Ariel, "it's fine dining we suggest!"

_Be our guest  
Be our guest  
Be our guest..._

"OK," noted Belle, "here comes the sad part." Ariel didn't seem to hear this, for she reacted not at all as Lumiere began his soliloquy:

_Life is so unnerving  
For a servant who's not serving  
He's not whole without a soul to wait upon_

_Ah, those good old days when we were useful  
For a time, those good old days were gone_

_Ten years we sat rusting  
Needing so much more than dusting  
Needing exercise; a chance to use our skills  
_

_Most days, we'd just lay around the castle  
Flabby, fat, and lazy  
Belle walked in and oops-a-daisy!_

And Mrs. Potts rolled in from the kitchen on a tea tray, circling around the table at speed, almost too fast for Ariel's eyes to follow.

_It's a guest, it's a guest  
Sakes alive and I'll be blessed  
Wine's been poured and thank the Lord  
I've had the napkins freshly pressed_

_With dessert, they'll want tea  
And, my dear, that's fine with me  
While the cups do their soft-shoeing  
I'll be bubbling, I'll be brewing_

_I'll get warm, piping hot_

And as she rolled past the highly polished kitchen doors, she happened to notice something in what little reflection she could see.

_Heaven's sakes! Is that a spot?!  
Clean it up; we want the company impressed_

_We've got a lot to do  
_

She finally came to a stop in between Belle and Ariel, to whom she directed her next question:

_Is it one lump or two  
For you, our guest?_

"She's our guest," Belle reminded herself as the dinner show reached its zenith.

_Be our guest  
Be our guest  
Our command is your request  
It's been weeks since other people have been here  
And we're obsessed_

_With your meal, with your ease  
Yes, indeed, we aim to please  
While the candlelight's still glowing  
Let us help you; we'll keep going_

And Lumiere finally reappeared, at the center of a chorus line at the opposite end of the table, doing the famous kick:

_Course  
By  
Course_

_One by one  
'Til you shout  
"Enough, I'm done!"_

Belle now tapped Ariel on the shoulder and pointed upwards. Ariel looked where Belle was pointing...and could not suppress an awed gasp. Descending from the ceiling was a fabulous chandelier...and it was vocalizing in a perfect operatic voice.

_Then we'll sing you off to sleep as you digest_

Ariel and Belle could not stop themselves from dancing in their seats as the performance reached its climax:

_Tonight, you'll prop your feet up  
But for now, let's eat up  
_

_Be our guest  
Be our guest  
Be our guest  
Please be...our...guest_

Excited applause from both women as all lights in the room came on.

"Bravo!" cried Belle, and Ariel nodded her concurrence.

"_Merci beaucoup, mademoiselles_," thanked Lumiere. "Now, what would you...like..." Lumiere's voice trailed off as his eyes were drawn to Ariel. Belle followed his gaze...and could not prevent a case of the giggles from overcoming her. Ariel, bless her heart, had picked up one of her forks...and was now using it to comb her hair.

_OK, _thought Belle as she buried her face in her hands, _this one is DEFINITELY not from around here._

"Whoever told you that was for combing hair," she laughed as Ariel watched in confusion, "may have meant well, but they were completely wrong. We have brushes and combs to use in our hair; I'll show you those later."

Ariel smiled gratefully, but then held the fork towards Belle and pointed to it with a questioning look on her face. Even Belle knew what was on Ariel's mind:

_Well, thank you, but if this thing isn't for combing hair, then what?_

"This is called a fork," explained Belle. "We use it for eating. When dinner comes around, I'll show you how it works."

Dinner tonight, as Belle had ordered for Ariel, since she was unable to speak, was beef Wellington with garlic mashed potatoes and fresh asparagus. As the meal was laid out in front of the women, a myriad of aromas hit Ariel's nose at once. The earthy smell of the beef and potatoes combined with the freshness of the asparagus combined in her brain, and Ariel's mouth started to water.

"Now, watch me," instructed Belle, and she showed Ariel how to use the utensils in front of her. It didn't take Ariel long to get the hang of it, but her mistakes did cause a little spillage, either from taking too much or not enough. Thank God she held her head over the plate proper, otherwise, she'd be out one dress.

"You learn quickly," noted Belle after dinner, on their way to their respective bedrooms. They were standing atop the grand staircase in the foyer, about to say good night. Ariel shrugged her shoulders, as if to say, "It's nothing."

"That actually counts for a lot around here," revealed Belle. "Even mute, I think you'll be all right. The people around here are so much better at charades than me." Ariel smiled: Despite desperately wanting her voice back, she thoroughly enjoyed charades. She made the sign for "thank you", and Belle had to smile herself.

"You're welcome," she replied, and kissed Ariel's hand. Ariel visibly blushed, waved good night, and daintily made her way to her bedroom. Belle did likewise, and upon entering her room, her mind started racing.

_Oh, I want to kiss her so badly. She helped me out with Gaston, she's a fan of Legend of Zelda, she seems to be an all-around wonderful woman...I think I'm in love. Actually, scratch that; I'm definitely in love. I can't resist this girl; I love her. If I don't kiss her soon, I'm going to explode. But it's got to be perfect: The setting, the mood, the feeling, all of it has to be right._

And Belle started flipping through her memory banks for the perfect place to make this kiss happen.

_Wait, of course! There's a lagoon not far from here that flows out into the open ocean. I'll take her there tomorrow night, and hopefully it all works out._

Satisfied with her plans, Belle collapsed on her bed and fell asleep with a content smile on her face.

* * *

A/N: And the plans are in place. To quote Ian McKellen as Gandalf the White: "The board is set. The pieces are moving."

TBC...


	4. Chapter 4: Day Two - Kiss the Girl

**Chapter 4: Day Two - Kiss the Girl**

Belle woke up the next morning with a clarity of mind unlike any she had ever experienced before. She wasted no time in dressing and walking down the hall to wake Ariel with a knock at the door. Ariel took a while to respond, but eventually, she did open the door, dressed solely in a sheer aqua nightgown, almost more revealing than the towel mishap yesterday. Belle felt herself blushing at what she could see, but managed to keep her eyes locked onto Ariel's face.

"Did I interrupt any dreams?" she asked kindly. Ariel nodded, then pointed to Belle...then herself. She then wrapped her arms around herself, closed her eyes, and imitated the act of kissing. Belle immediately got the hint and involuntarily shivered...she had had the exact same dream as Ariel, only a little bit more...what was the word?..._sexual._

_OK,_ she thought, slightly weirded out, _that kind of synchronicity NEVER happens, ESPECIALLY in dreams. There's definitely something about this woman._

"Anyway," she continued, "today I'd like to take you on a tour of the town. We'll be gone all day, and then I have a surprise planned for tonight." Ariel's smile was almost blinding, she was so visibly excited.

"There's something I want to show you," hinted Belle slyly. "I can't tell you what it is, but I assure you, you're going to love it." Ariel was literally bouncing on the balls of her feet...Belle did not know this, but Ariel absolutely loved surprises. She showed her appreciation for Belle with a long kiss on her cheek, barely resisting the temptation to capture her lips for her own.

A temptation, unknown to Ariel, that Belle was having trouble fighting, as well. Just as Ariel broke contact, there came a knock at the mansion's front door.

"That's likely to be Gaston again," groaned Belle, and both women's faces fell. Belle, however, soon came up with an idea, which she relayed to Ariel. Ariel agreed, and the two women took up their respective positions: Ariel waited at the top of the stairs while Belle went to answer the door. Sure enough, there was Gaston.

"Good morning, Belle," he greeted jovially.

"_Bonjour,_ Gaston," Belle replied, carefully keeping her frustration hidden beneath a warm, friendly tone.

"You seem more chipper than usual today," noted Gaston as he took two steps towards Belle, blind to all else but her.

"Well," began Belle, clicking her tongue twice (which was the signal for Ariel to make her move), "I'm going to be quite busy today."

"That you are," laughed Gaston. "You're going to be busy hanging on my arm all day as I prove to you that we are meant for each other!" Before he could continue, he felt something grab the back of his shirt and start pulling downwards as a pair of feet pressed themselves into the back of his thigh muscles.

"Not quite the plans I had in mind, to be honest," confessed Belle with a sly smile on her face as Gaston's balance was slowly stolen from him, and before he knew it, he was flying wildly through space and time, rotating through almost a complete back flip, finally landing in a deep puddle of mud in the middle of the road, face-first.

"The nearest laundry service is in Wales!" called Belle from the mansion just before she slammed the door.

When Gaston finally pulled himself up from the mud, he was seething.

"Damn you, Belle," he growled at the mansion, "I WILL have you as my wife, come Hell or high water." And he walked down to the beach again to blow off steam. He wasn't there long, though, before Ursula showed up once again.

"Saw your latest failure, Mr. In The Navy," she taunted, "but not to fear: An opportunity to avenge yourself will come tonight."

"Explain," ordered Gaston through gritted teeth, wiping a faceful of mud off of himself.

"Miss Belle is taking the Little Mermaid out for a moonlight boat ride tonight in a lagoon not far from the mansion," revealed Ursula. "Follow them and you can interrupt their little...romantic excursion."

"How do you know this?" queried Gaston with a raised eyebrow.

"The cauldron I use to work my magic," answered Ursula, "has many other uses, as well. Let's leave it at that; I don't want you trying to steal it."

"It's not like I could get to it, anyway," reminded Gaston.

"True," agreed Ursula. "Remember, follow them tonight. You'll know what to do, and when to do it."

* * *

Meanwhile, back in the mansion, Belle and Ariel were marveling about how flawlessly their plan had worked.

"He never even saw you coming," laughed Belle. "And what a monkey flip; that was perfect!" Ariel curtsied daintily in appreciation, then put on a quizzical look and pointed her left thumb towards the door. The meaning behind this was clear to Belle:

_What's the deal with that jerk, anyway?_

"He wants to marry me," answered Belle. Ariel stuck her tongue out in disgust, pointing to the back of her throat for extra emphasis.

"I know, right?" agreed Belle. "The nerve! Imagine, me marrying someone as stuck-up and arrogant as him!

_Madame Gaston  
Can't you just see it?_

_Madame Gaston  
His little wife_

_No, ma'am; not me  
I guarantee it_

_I don't want that pompous human in my life_

_I want a piece of something bigger, somewhere  
I want it more than I can tell  
And for once it might be grand  
To have someone understand  
I want so much more than he's got planned..."_

Belle's impromptu musical number gave Ariel chills. Not only did Belle have a singing voice to rival her own, but what she had just sung sounded eerily similar to what Ariel had sung to a statue of her not three days ago, even right down to the vocal melody pattern. In fact...now that Ariel thought back on it...it was, indeed, the exact same vocal melody pattern as Ariel had used.

_OK,_ thought Ariel, unknowingly echoing Belle's thought from earlier, _this kind of synchronicity NEVER happens. She has to be my soul mate._

"Oh, right," remembered Belle, "we have a tour to take." Offering Ariel her hand, she added, "Follow me." Ariel took the proffered hand and did as Belle had asked.

* * *

After the tour, which included a friendly dance in the town square, some new discoveries for Ariel, and a near-death experience when Ariel took the reins and made poor Philippe jump a destroyed bridge, she and Belle finally came to a lovely lagoon, as Belle had planned. The sun had set by this time, and the stars were just beginning to twinkle in the night sky. Belle gently led Ariel down to a dock, to which a small rowboat was tethered. Belle helped Ariel climb in, then joined her in the boat and cast off. Taking the oars, Belle slowly took them towards a weeping willow that was perched on a very small islet within the lagoon proper.

Unbeknownst to the women, they had some unexpected guests: Sebastian had hitched a ride in Ariel's clothes, and was now standing with Scuttle and Flounder, watching the boat come towards them.

"Only one day left," noted Scuttle, "and that girl ain't even puckered up once."

"Really?" whispered Flounder, surprised. "What with the love that Ariel has for Belle, you'd think they'd be smooching away by now."

"OK," said Scuttle, paying no attention to Flounder. "All right, this calls for a little vocal romantic stimulation." And he flew up to a branch that he knew Ariel and Belle's boat would travel under.

"Stand back," he warned four young hatchlings as he came down. They scattered...but not fast enough. Scuttle plopped down on the branch, and all the chicks went flying. Taking a deep breath, he let loose with what he felt was a very romantic vocalized melody.

Unfortunately for Scuttle, he was not aware that his voice was not suitable for singing...at all. Unfortunately for the rest of the creatures bearing witness, they were all too aware of this fact.

"Wow," mused Belle as they passed under Scuttle. "Someone should find that poor animal and put it out of its misery." Unseen by Belle, Ariel looked up towards Scuttle, embarrassed. Scuttle winked at her, still warbling off-key, and formed his left wing into the symbol that Ariel knew represented the phrase "A-OK". Wishing only that Scuttle would shut up, she clapped a hand to her forehead.

"Geez, mon!" cried Sebastian, his claws clutched to his earholes. "I'm surrounded by amateurs." And he leaped into the water as Scuttle's warbling finally subsided.

"You want someting done," he mused as he cut a piece of sea grass to use as a baton, "ya gotta do it yourself." And as he surfaced, a few mallard ducks and small turtles were swimming up to him and listening intently.

"First," instructed Sebastian, smiling, for he was now in his element, "we've got to create..._de mood._" Pointing the grass at the ducks, he began to conduct a romantic tune that he had written long ago, but had never gotten to use until now.

"Percussion," he instructed the animals in front of him. The turtles immediately rolled onto their backs and the ducks began gently playing a slow, provocative rhythm on the shells.

"Strings," he added to a bunch of crickets who were nestled in a thicket beside him.

"Winds!" he called out, jumping to a reed as a slight breeze picked up.

"Words..." he finished, standing on a different reed as Ariel and Belle were just about to pass by him. The lyrics began now:

_Dere you see her  
Sitting dere across de way  
She don' gotta lot to say  
But dere's someting about her..._

_And you don't know why  
But you're dyin' to try_

The reed on which Sebastian was standing gave slowly under his light weight, dropping to a perfect height to whisper the next words directly in Belle's ear.

_You wanna kiss de girl_

Belle heard this, Sebastian knew, and he jumped away to where the ducks were just as Belle looked at the spot where he had been standing not more than a second ago.

"Did you hear something?" she asked Ariel.

Ariel, knowing full well what was going on, decided to play along with it, and shook her head no with a placating smile on her face.

_Yes, you want her  
Look at her, ya know you do  
Possible she wants you, too  
Dere is one way to ask her_

Ariel and Belle looked at each other and smiled warmly. They could feel the magic in the air, thanks, though Belle did not know it, to Sebastian and his musical talents.

_It don't take a word  
Not a single word  
Go on and kiss de girl_

Ariel leaned in close and closed her eyes. Belle did likewise. They were within inches of nirvana...but at the last second, Belle pulled away, feeling that the time was still not quite right. Ariel, frustrated, slowly leaned back and placed her chin upon her hand, beginning to stare off into space.

Sebastian saw this, and stuck his head under the water.

"Sing with me now," he instructed to any who could hear. Five frogs perched themselves on one of Belle's oars and took up the background vocals.

_Sha-la-la-la-la-la  
My, oh, my  
Look like Miss Belle too shy  
Ain't gonna kiss de girl_

_Sha-la-la-la-la-la-la  
Ain't dat sad?  
Ain't it a shame?  
Too bad; she gonna miss de girl..._

Finally, the boat drew within spitting distance of the willow in the center of the lagoon. It was at about this time that Belle decided she'd had about enough of just calling this woman "Miss" all the time. She wanted a name.

"You know," she said to Ariel, "I feel really bad not knowing your name. Maybe I can guess it." And she put the oars down and leaned back, assuming a thinking pose. Ariel smiled and awaited Belle's first guess.

"Is it, uh..." tried Belle. "...Jasmine?" Ariel squinted her entire face and shook her head no vehemently.

"OK, no," laughed Belle, holding her hands up in a gesture of surrender. "How about, uh...Tiana?" Ariel shook her head no again.

"Aurora?" ventured Belle, becoming slightly desperate. Once again, Ariel's silent answer was no.

"By all dat Lord Poseidon deems right and good..." sighed Sebastian. "...what kinda name is Aurora?" And, deciding to take matters into his own hands, he swam up to the boat and perched himself just behind Belle, and to her right.

"Ariel," he called quietly to her. "Her name is Ariel." And with that, he jumped off the boat and swam under the willow.

Belle looked around a little at the sound of the phrase she had just heard, and found nothing. But the name she had caught stuck in her head.

"Ariel..." she said softly to herself. At this, Ariel's face lit up, and she nodded vigorously.

"Ariel?!" Belle cried, amazed. Ariel nodded again, just as happily. They had involuntarily moved closer to each other, and now took each other by the hands.

"Well," said Belle honestly, "that's actually really pretty. OK...Ariel..." And she kissed Ariel's hands, which were cupped atop her own. A pair of flamingos took positions near the leaves of the willow and opened them up like a curtain for the boat to pass through, as if into a tunnel of love at the carnival. Underneath the willow tree, Ariel and Belle were, for the most part, all by themselves, in a truly romantic setting: Fireflies were flitting on and off in the darkness of the willow's shadowy imprint, creating the impression that the two women were surrounded by stars. If ever the time was right for the magic of love to take place, it was now.

_Now's your moment  
Floating in a blue lagoon  
Belle, ya better do it soon  
No time will be better_

Sebastian poked his head above water to check on the two women. A gleeful smile crossed his face as he saw the love in each woman's eyes.

_She don't say a word  
And she won't say a word  
Until ya kiss de girl_

A whole host of underwater musical animals joined in for the final section of Sebastian's masterpiece. Many fish started to swim in a circle around the perimeter of the rowboat.

_Sha-la-la-la-la-la  
Don't be scared  
You got de mood prepared  
Go on and kiss de girl_

_Sha-la-la-la-la-la  
Don't stop now  
Don't try to hide it  
How you wanna kiss de girl_

The boat was now spinning in a slow circle, caused by the fish beneath and around it. The fireflies were forming a ring around the two women, almost like the rings of Saturn. Ariel and Belle were smiling lovingly at each other, each staring deeply into the other's eyes. Love was almost visibly pulsating from the two women, and it was very much palpable to all creatures who were helping to keep the moment intact.

_Sha-la-la-la-la-la  
Float along  
And listen to de song  
De song say, "Kiss de girl"_

Scuttle, determined to have a solo in the song, landed in front of a few storks and began to warble. They quickly subdued him, binding his beak and legs with their wings. The moment...and song...continued as if nothing had happened.

_Sha-la-la-la-la  
De music play  
Do what de music say  
You gotta kiss de girl_

And a whole gaggle of lagoon animals was egging the two women on: "Go on, kiss!" "Kiss!" "Just kiss already!"

_Kiss de girl_

Ariel and Belle were, once again, within inches of each other. Ariel closed her eyes, and Belle felt herself do the same.

_Kiss de girl_

Ariel readied herself for a climactic kiss that would finally see her dream coming true and, hopefully, get her back her voice. Belle prepared herself for the kind of thank-you that only love could say. They both puckered up...

_Kiss de girl_

Sebastian had Scuttle by the throat, preventing him from saying anything. He saw how close the two women were to finally realizing their love, and could not prevent excitement from bubbling up within him. He fought to keep his voice low as he cried out,

"Go on and...!"

_Kiss de girl_

This was it! Finally, the kiss that would cement their destiny! Ariel and Belle felt anticipation, sexual tension, and, above all, love, building up inside of them. The explosion of a lifetime was only millimeters away! It was coming, it was almost happening! Their lips were just a micron away; they could feel the other's breath on their own lips! Just a little bit farther, just a bit more! It was OH-SO-CLOSE...!

But at the last possible moment, a gunshot exploded the water just off the starboard stern; the bow was facing away from the tree proper. A small fountain of water shot up into the air where the musket ball pierced the smooth surface. Ariel and Belle instantly recoiled, afraid that one of them had been hit. Just as they did so, they were thrown out of the boat and into the water as the boat was overturned by they knew not what. Quickly surfacing, they turned the boat back over, and Belle checked herself for wounds: There were none.

"Are you OK?" she asked Ariel, panting. Ariel nodded, attempting to get her bearings again as she returned to the boat and got in. Belle did likewise, and, the moment broken, destroyed, and gone, the two women decided to head back to the mansion and call it a night.

Belle was so disappointed: If not for that gunshot and capsizing, she and Ariel would definitely have kissed, she knew that beyond a shadow of a doubt. And up to that point, it had all gone so well. She had literally been a micron away...

Ariel, on the other hand, knew exactly what had gone down, in terms of who had arranged to ruin the moment.

_Ursula,_ she swore to herself, enraged, _if ever we meet again, I swear on the River Styx...I will kill you._

* * *

Meanwhile, Ursula had watched the entire scene play out and let out a breath she hadn't even realized she was holding until Flotsam and Jetsam had overturned the boat.

"Nice work, boys," she praised the eels. "That was a close one. Too close. That little tramp! Ah, she's better than I thought." Realizing that she would have to accelerate her timetable and take matters into her own hands, she swam to her potions cabinet and began rifling though it.

"Well, at this rate," she growled, "they'll be making out by sunset, that's for sure. In which case, it's time Ursula took matters into her own tentacles!" Grabbing the potion she would need, she forcefully hurled it into her cauldron, vial and all. It exploded with surprising strength, and the spell immediately began.

"Triton's daughter will be mine!" she raged, clutching the seashell necklace that contained Ariel's voice. "And then I'll make him writhe. I'll see him wriggle like a worm on a hook!" And she cackled as the spell took place. She took Ariel's voice into herself, and the magic transformed her into an incredibly attractive human woman. When all was said and done, she had long, very dark brown hair, a heavenly figure, and mysterious brown eyes...she looked almost like a different version of Ariel. Taking the name of Vanessa, she grabbed a robe she kept for such occasions as this and swam to the surface to wait.

The stage was set for Ursula's endgame.

* * *

Gaston, meanwhile, was fuming. He had just climbed down from the willow tree under which Ariel and Belle had just shared a romantic moment. If not for his gunshot and expert marksmanship, there was no doubt in his mind it would have been a lot more than just a moment. It would definitely have gotten intimately physical, starting with a kiss.

There was no room left for question: Gaston had figured it out.

_Belle is in love with the redheaded mermaid._

The thought repulsed him down to his very core, and he spat in disgust. Yes, Belle was in love with another woman, which truly disgusted him, being a good young Christian man, and deeply spiritual to boot. Not to mention the fact that he had never been truly able to wrap his head around same-sex relationships in the first place, and Gaston detested what he could not understand. He read his Bible every day, and God's Word was very clear on the punishment for homosexuality:

_Leviticus 20:13...If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them._

It was, indeed, a sin to Gaston, and Belle needed to be punished...hopefully cured of these sinful feelings. But the fact that Belle was in love with another female was not what really made him angry. Homosexuality could be dealt with; he had ways to purge people of those urges.

What pissed him off to no end was that the object of Belle's affections was a mermaid...not fully human, a hybrid of a human and a fish. And in his eyes, being only part human made Ariel (though he still did not know her name) all beast. Thus, he saw her relationship with Belle as nothing less than an unpardonable sin, an unforgivable act of treason against her own species...in other words, bestiality. Thanks to his devout Christian upbringing, Gaston absolutely could not accept anything even remotely resembling such a disgusting state of affairs. Gaston thought back to his Bible studies and found one that particularly stuck out to him:

_Leviticus 20:16...And if a woman approach unto any beast, and lie down thereto, thou shalt kill the woman, and the beast: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them._

Gaston wanted to do right by his Creator, but he knew he would not be able to bring himself to kill Belle; he still wanted her for his wife. But the mermaid...yes, the mermaid, he could kill.

_And so I shall, I swear to you now, almighty Father. By sunset tomorrow, the mermaid will be dead by my hand. And Belle will be forced to pay for her sins...by bearing witness to this mermaid's death._

* * *

A/N: HOLY MARY, MOTHER OF GOD, YOU TALK ABOUT A TEASE! THEY WERE JUST A MICRON AWAY! But there's no time to dwell on that now. Gaston is out for Ariel's blood, and Ursula, taking matters into her own hands, has set the stage for her endgame. This can only end one way...

...with a climactic final battle between the forces of good and evil. And such shall I bring to you...next chapter.

TBC...


	5. Chapter 5: Day Three - Endgame

**Chapter 5: Day Three - Endgame**

When Ariel woke up the following morning, she was very wet in a very...sensitive spot. The dream from which she had awakened had been very provocative, very sensual, very pleasing to her mind...and, to top it all off, it had involved Belle and that lagoon where they had spent the first half of last night. Oh, if Belle ever found out about this...

As Ariel went to look down at the wet spot, she saw, to her horror, that that section of her nightgown was now plastered to that wet spot, creating a stain that would easily reveal how her body had reacted to the images her mind had conjured. Ariel was scared of how Belle might react, so she quickly shed it and changed into her casual dress. Putting on her flats, she darted across the foyer and pressed an ear to Belle's bedroom door. What she heard almost made her burst out laughing: Belle was moaning softly, sounding a lot like Ariel had in her own dream. Ariel wanted nothing more than to make Belle's visions into almost unbearably satisfying reality, but somehow found the strength to push it aside for now. Just then, an idea came to her:

_Maybe I can run some errands in town for her_, she thought. _She'll probably appreciate that. _So she went back into the foyer and looked around for something to write with. There were none to be found.

_Blast. You'd think they'd keep these things within easy reach. Maybe the wait staff knows where some are. _So she went to the kitchen door and knocked on it. It slowly opened and she immediately began to rummage through the nearest cabinets.

"Somebody's definitely on the hunt for something," came a gentle voice off to her right. She turned and saw a clock standing there that she didn't recognize, but judging by his appearance, it could only be Cogsworth. Remembering the tips that Belle had given her, Ariel curtsied politely with a smile.

"Oh..." said Cogsworth, surprised. "Well, hello, there, my dear." And he gave a gentle bow. "Anyway, can I help you find something?" Ariel, wasting no time, mimed writing in midair.

"Pen and paper, eh?" guessed Cogsworth. Ariel nodded vigorously. "Not to worry, there're plenty of those about. If you'll return to the foyer, I'll show you where some are." And he led Ariel to a side table near the entrance to the dining room. At Cogsworth's request, Ariel opened the drawer built into it to find exactly what she had been looking for: pens and paper. Well, she had wanted a quill, but these would do. After he showed her how to work them, she set to the task, writing down for Belle what she would be up to for today. After signing her name, she signed "thank you" to Cogsworth.

"Oh, you're very welcome, milady," he answered politely. "Do you require anything else?" Ariel, smiling, shook her head no.

"Well, if you think of something," requested Cogsworth, "please do not hesitate to let us know." And with a graceful bow, he made his exit. Ariel, meanwhile, returned to Belle's bedroom door and slipped her note under it. Then, grabbing a wicker basket from near the door, she opened the front doors and let herself out into the world.

Making her way into the town square, she stopped at the baker's stand.

"Well, good morning, Miss," he greeted jovially. "Haven't seen you around town before. What's your name?" Ariel placed her hand up against her throat, then made a strike-through motion with the same hand.

"Oh, you're mute?" guessed the baker. "Oh, well, ain't that a kick in the head. Are you new around here?" Ariel nodded.

"Aha!" cried the baker. "I knew it! Well, you definitely came to the right place to start, Miss. My name's Roger, and my wife Linda and I will hook you up with the finest, freshest breads and rolls in Eastbourne, or we don't deserve the title of town bakers!"

And so he did, teaching Ariel what to look for in the best breads and pastries, then letting her pick out whatever caught her eye. And the best part? He ultimately decided not to charge her, since it was her first time in town.

And it was a similar experience with every other person she met: Upon finding out she was mute, they treated her very well.

_Wow_, thought Ariel as she was about to make her way home, _I could get used to this. But it'll be so damned nice to have my voice back._ And she made for the square's exit feeling better than she had in quite a while.

That is, until she ran into Gaston. He stopped her just as she passed by the baker's stand, full basket in hand.

"Ah," he said smoothly, "if it isn't Belle's new..._friend_." Ariel, revolted, was unnerved by the emphasis he had put on the word "friend". Did he know how she felt about Belle?

"You've met me," noted Gaston, preventing Ariel from going around him, "and I happen to know you're mute, so let's skip the formalities, shall we?" With that, he forcefully grabbed her by both wrists and shoved her up against a nearby wall. The wicker basket went flying from the impact, and its contents spilled onto the ground.

"Cutting to the chase," began Gaston dangerously. "I know you're in love with Belle, but I also know what you are. Let me tell you something right now...Little Mermaid..." Ariel let out a silent, horrified gasp. "...Belle is going to be MY wife, and there's nothing you can do to stop it."

_He really is that thick_, thought Ariel. _Disgusting._

"It's true," chuckled Gaston. "I happened to drop by the mansion this morning. Belle came running at me...and confessed her love for me right there on the spot. And when she kissed me..." Ariel's eyes grew wide. She knew he was lying, but there was something about his tone that worried her very deeply.

"...it was just like I'd imagined," Gaston droned on. "That taste..." And he slowly ran his gloved fingers across his own mouth. "...bayberries."

Ariel fought to free herself, afraid that Gaston was about to force himself on her. Unfortunately, he had a different plan in mind for her.

"Easy there, Little Miss Firebrand," reprimanded Gaston, "I'm almost done. We've already got a wedding planned out. She went to get her wedding dress squared away, and as soon as she's done with that, we're on the first plane to France. She'll forget all about you, 'cause she'll have someone like me." And with those final words, Gaston let out a truly evil laugh as he let Ariel go. Ariel, wasting no time, started running as fast as she possibly could back to the mansion, presumably to check on Belle.

_Run, run, run, as fast as you can,_ thought Gaston. _But you're too late. Oh, Belle is going to pay SO dearly for getting involved with you..._

* * *

Earlier in the day, around about noontime, Belle walked out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel. She had just taken a cold shower, one which she had desperately needed after waking up this morning drenched in her own juices, thanks to an amazingly vivid dream involving her, Ariel, and the lagoon they had gone to last night.

_Heaven help me,_ thought Belle as she dressed behind the screen, _that was intense. Imagine if Ariel had walked in on that, especially right at the end._ And an involuntary chill ran down her spine as she pictured Ariel's reaction.

She would never truly know just how close she had come to seeing Ariel's reaction for herself earlier that morning.

After she walked out from behind the screen, Belle saw a piece of paper laying in front of her bedroom door. Picking it up, she began to read, her eyes growing wider with each word.

_Belle,_

_I woke up early today. Since you've been so kind to me,  
I figured I should return the favor. I've gone into town  
to take care of your shopping. If you need me, find me there._

_Love always,  
Ariel_

_P.S. Hopefully, you...enjoyed...your dream today._

_Oh, my goodness,_ thought Belle, horrified. _Some of those townspeople would eat her for lunch!_ Throwing on her own flats, Belle darted out of the mansion and started to head for town. She had just barely started on the road, however, when something she had been hoping to hear for a month and change finally floated into her ears: an eerily familiar singing voice.

Belle stopped dead in her tracks. Looking towards the beach, from which the voice was emanating, she saw a figure walking towards her, arms outstretched. It was, indeed, the voice of her savior.

_I'm sorry, Ariel,_ Belle mentally apologized, _but I have to at least say thank you to this woman for saving me and allowing me to live long enough to meet you._ So she slowly began to make her way over to the beach, to the figure. The closer she got, the more powerful the singing became...almost like a spell was being cast on her. (Which, unbeknownst to her, was exactly the case.) When they finally drew within arm's length of each other, Belle was completely hypnotized. She looked at her rescuer and saw an amazingly beautiful woman, with long, flowing, very dark hair, a heavenly figure, and mysterious brown eyes. She wore a golden seashell necklace and a cream-colored dress under a black petticoat.

It was almost as if Belle were looking at Ariel, but with deliberate mistakes.

"It's you..." she breathed slowly. "You...saved me."

"Yes," answered the woman warmly. "And I've longed to see you again ever since."

"Well..." replied Belle slowly. "...here I am. I'm Belle Cartier. What's your name?"

"My name is Vanessa," she answered, "and I've dreamed of this moment for a month. Will you dance with me?"

Belle wanted to politely refuse; Ariel could be in trouble, and might need her help. But the power this...Vanessa...had over her was too strong.

"Of course," she agreed. "But first, I need some music. Come with me; I'll get my music box and you can clean up a bit."

"Lead the way," acquiesced Vanessa in a smoking whisper, and gently kissed Belle's hand.

_I've finally found her,_ Belle thought all the way back up to the mansion. _And yet...something's off. She just doesn't...feel right._

* * *

A bit later, Vanessa was in Belle's bedroom, cleaning up a bit for the dance on the beach. Gleefully celebrating how perfectly her plan...and spell...had worked, she broke into song.

Meanwhile, Scuttle had dropped by to remind Ariel that she didn't have much time left. All he found was Sebastian, wrapped up in a little wicker cradle, passed out. Scuttle, deciding that desperate times called for desperate measures, went straight for his big guns. Taking a deep breath, he began to warble, just as he had last night. Immediately, Sebastian was on his beak, clamping it shut.

"Were you TRYING to wake me up?!" he growled.

"Yeah, I was," struggled Scuttle. "Gotta find Ariel."

"OK," shot Sebastian, letting go of Scuttle's beak, "first off, mission accomplished, mon! Second off, Ariel's..." He stopped in his tracks as he pointed to Ariel's bed, which turned out to be empty.

"Where is she?" they asked in unison. It was at that point that Ariel's voice floated in through the open window Scuttle had used to get in.

"What in de name of Poseidon?!" cried Sebastian. "When did dey kiss?"

"Either we missed it..." deduced Scuttle. "...or something's up."

"Follow dat voice!" commanded Sebastian. Scuttle obeyed, gently taking Sebastian in his webbed feet to the area from whence the voice seemed to be emanating: the open window of Belle's room. Perching themselves just beneath the edge of the window, so as not to be seen, they saw Vanessa dancing and singing around the room:

_What a lovely little bride I'll make  
My dear, I'll look divine_

_Things are working out  
According to my ultimate design_

She took...something...out of her hair. Scuttle and Sebastian couldn't make out what it was, but Vanessa chucked it like a dart at the vanity mirror. It landed with a loud thunk in the engraved face in the frame, knocking the mirror out of position.

It was about now that Sebastian got a look at Vanessa's necklace. It was a golden spiral seashell that looked scarily familiar: Sebastian could swear he'd seen it before. But where?

They were about to get their answer, as Vanessa stepped on the vanity stool, and then on the vanity proper, smashing a small purple perfume bottle.

_Soon I'll have that little mermaid  
And the ocean will be mine..._

Vanessa now executed a little twirl on the vanity and moved the mirror just enough to allow Scuttle and Sebastian to see the final nail in her coffin: As Vanessa's laughter filled the room, reflected in the mirror was not her own face...but that of a truly evil creature with short white hair and ruby-red lips.

"The sea witch!" breathed Scuttle.

"We gotta find Ariel!" ordered Sebastian quietly. "We gotta put a stop to dis!"

"Amen to that!" agreed Scuttle. "Let's go!" And he gathered Sebastian up and flew off.

They followed the road into town from above, Scuttle staying on course while Sebastian kept a lookout. About halfway to town, Sebastian saw her: Ariel was running at full speed back towards the mansion. From what Sebastian could make out, she did not look happy. A very worried look was plastered onto her face as she bolted for home.

"Ahoy, mon!" he cried out. "Dere she is, right below us!"

"The wind's against us!" noted Scuttle. "We won't catch up to her!"

"No need to," answered Sebastian. "I know where she's going! Just follow her!"

* * *

Since the wind was blowing to the east, Ariel did, indeed, make it back to the mansion first. She searched every room where Belle was likely to spend her time...no luck. Then every other room in the mansion...no sign of her. She even took a look in the back yard...no Belle. Just a flock of Swablu, though Ariel did not know that was what they were.

With one last room to search, Ariel darted over to it: Belle's bedroom. Throwing open the door, what she saw...was an empty bed. Belle was nowhere to be found. She was gone.

Ariel, for the second time in a week, felt her heart completely disintegrate. Belle had left her in the dust. There would be no good-bye, no confessions, no farewell kiss...A pain, sorrow, and heartbreak that Ariel had only felt once before...when Triton had destroyed the statue of Belle in her treasure cave...came flooding back with a vengeance. Losing all hope, Ariel collapsed onto Belle's bed and let the tears flow freely. Burying her face in the pillow, her body wracked itself with desperate sobs and unbearable anguish. All she wanted now was to die, so as to make the agony stop.

It was at about that time that she felt something plop down on the bed next to her. Jerking her head up from the pillow, hoping to see Belle, her face brightened as she turned to regard the weight on the bed. She was a little disappointed when she saw that it was not Belle. But Sebastian and Scuttle would do quite nicely.

"Ariel, what are ya doing?!" cried Scuttle. "You gotta go and get after your woman!" Ariel looked at Scuttle quizzically.

"Long story short," explained Sebastian, "Belle is under a spell from de sea witch! We're going to find where dey are, and report back to you!"

"Stay right here!" ordered Scuttle as he took Sebastian and flew off again. Ariel felt such a rage and determination as she had never known existed boiling white-hot inside her. She was about to take matters into her own hands and find Ursula herself when Scuttle came flying back in, Sebastian in tow.

"We're in luck, kiddo!" Scuttle reported. "They're dancin' on the beach across the street!"

"Ya better hurry!" added Sebastian. "De sun's about to set! We'll distract de witch! You go get dat girl to kiss you!" And off they went again. Ariel followed, opening the door and moving with purpose through the mansion, to the front door.

The mermaid...was on a mission.

* * *

On the beach, soft music was playing from a small portable speaker which was sitting in the sand near Belle and Vanessa, who were gliding slowly across the sand in a simple waltz.

"I never did say thank you for saving my life," noted Belle.

"And you'll never have to," answered Vanessa quietly, looking deeply into Belle's eyes. "Just kiss me."

Belle felt herself lean in slowly for a tender kiss, though not of her own volition. Their lips were about to touch...

...when Vanessa let out an ear-piercing shriek of pain. Belle jumped back, startled, and lost her footing, falling to the sand. She saw a small red crab latched onto Vanessa's earlobe with one of its claws. Vanessa fought to free herself from the crab's grip, but no sooner had she gotten it loose than a seagull came down from the sky and, looking like an F/A-18 Hornet buzzing its base, came within inches of Vanessa's face. Belle would later swear that the bird had also placed its feet in a dive kick position; Vanessa went diving to the sand to avoid it. When she went down, Belle saw Ariel running towards them, a look of resolve and vengeance upon her normally soft face.

"Ariel?" she said to herself, confused. Unseen by Belle, the crab had cut the string on Vanessa's necklace, and it was no longer around her neck when she came up. As she searched for it, Ariel came up and caught Vanessa across the face with a powerful punch, followed swiftly by a kick to the abdomen. As Vanessa doubled over, Ariel walked around behind her, jumped on her back, placed her feet on Vanessa's thighs, and let herself fall backwards. The force of the monkey flip was such that Vanessa was sent sailing clear out to sea.

"Ariel!" Belle heard a very Jamaican voice call out. She looked and saw that it was coming from the crab. Somehow, this did not surprise her...perhaps, she surmised, when one spent a great deal of their time talking to inanimate objects, talking sea creatures was as nothing.

"De shell!" ordered the crab. "Break de shell! And hurry! I gotta go get de Sea King! Sorry, Ariel, but he must know about dis!" And he darted off into the ocean without another word. Ariel, resigned to this, simply nodded.

Wasting no time, Ariel picked up the shell and looked around for something to break it with. Very quickly, she spotted a decent-sized rock nearby. With all her might, she hurled the shell at the rock. Upon contact, the shell exploded, and Ariel's voice flew from it. The all-too-familiar melody which was Ariel's favorite began to emanate from the small ball of green light. Ariel threw her head back and closed her eyes, beginning to vocalize in her mind along with the melody as her mouth opened. Slowly...ever so slowly...Ariel's voice began to float through the sky towards Ariel herself. Just inches away from its home, it trembled for a bit...and then, for a split second, it was coming from without...and then it was within. Ariel, her voice finally back where it belonged, concluded the melody as only she could.

At about that same time, the spell on Belle was broken, and she felt her mind clear itself up. Gingerly, she stood up, and looked excitedly at Ariel.

"Ariel?" she asked.

"Belle..." replied Ariel. "Oh, come here."

"It really _was_ you..." breathed Belle. "You're the one. You rescued me!" And she ran at Ariel, arms thrown wide.

"Yes!" cried Ariel in confirmation. "It was me! Oh, how long I've wanted to say that out loud!" And she embraced Belle tightly, vowing never to let go of her again. When they finally did separate, Belle looked deeply into Ariel's eyes.

"Well, now that the whole misunderstanding is cleared up," she said softly, "I'd like to say thank you for saving my life."

"Oh," laughed Ariel, smiling, "it was nothing. I'm just glad I finally got to tell you."

"And I'm glad I finally got to thank you," retorted Belle. "But there's so many other things I want to say..." And she felt herself leaning towards Ariel, who also seemed to be leaning closer.

"Save the talking for later..." requested Ariel. "I know you've wanted to do this for at least two days now, so now's your chance...Kiss me..." And Belle and Ariel felt their eyes close, ready to cement their destiny at long last.

Unseen by either of the two women, a young hunter had seen the whole thing and was now taking a position behind Ariel, hunting knife in hand, ready to taste mermaid's blood, murder in his eyes.

Scuttle saw this, and attempted to alert the young women to the danger.

"Hey, look out!" he cried, diving low. "You've both got unwanted company!"

"I love you, Belle..." whispered Ariel just as her lips were about to meet Belle's. And she truly could feel the love coming off herself and Belle in waves. But just as history was about to be made, a far more powerful, and far less pleasant, sensation overcame Ariel.

Belle staggered backwards for the second time as Ariel let out an inhuman scream of pain which could be heard for miles. Unlike with Vanessa, though, Belle saw nothing to cause the injury. So what was making Ariel scream bloody murder?

The answer to this was now lodged firmly in Ariel's back, and it was piercing vital organs. It revealed itself to Belle as a hunting knife which had been shoved up to the hilt through Ariel's left half, near where her heart was. As shock and disbelief set in, she saw who had been responsible: Gaston was looking down on Ariel's prone form with disgust.

"Leviticus 20:16, Belle," he said haughtily. "'If a woman lies down with a beast, both the woman and the beast are to be put to death.'"

"...Ariel was not an animal..." Belle managed to force out, appalled that even Gaston would say such a thing.

"Oh, was that her name?" asked Gaston. "Well, _Ariel..._" He spat the name. "...has one last secret for you." And he gestured to where Ariel now lay in the sand, using his boot to gently roll her onto her back.

Belle looked...and could not believe what she was seeing. Where feet had been for the past three days, there was now an aqua-colored fish's tail.

"A mermaid..." sobbed Belle. "You killed a mermaid?!"

"Bestiality," reminded Gaston angrily, "is a sin for which the penalty is death! Technically, I'm supposed to kill you, as well, but you know I can't do that."

"You should," retorted Belle, "because there's no way I'll ever marry you!"

"Oh, Belle," sighed Gaston, frustrated, "you need to pay for your sins! But if you repent now, and agree to be my wife, God the Eternal Father will forgive you! HE WILL SAVE YOU..." Gaston was cut off as a long black tentacle wrapped itself around his entire body...and **squeezed**. Belle could hear the crackling sound of bones breaking, and then a death rattle as Gaston literally had the life squeezed out of him and the hunting knife fell from his hand. Its job done, the tentacle, with little visible effort on its part, tossed Gaston's sizable corpse seaward. It gained a considerable amount of flight time before it finally hit the water with a splash, never to rise again.

Meanwhile, the sun was finally out of view. Belle slowly crawled over to Ariel and draped herself on top of her. It seemed impossible, but one quick pulse check confirmed it: Ariel was dying.

"No..." breathed Belle. "Ariel, stay with me. Please don't die."

"That's...no longer...my choice...to make," Ariel struggled to say. "Anyway...this is better...than being forced...to become part...of the...Octopus's Garden."

Belle had no idea why Ariel was referencing a song from long ago, but it mattered little: She wasn't long for this world.

"Oh, I wish he'd stabbed me instead," lamented Belle. "Stay with me...I need you."

"Belle..." whispered Ariel. "...just hold me." And with that, at long last, Ariel gave in to temptation...and captured Belle's lips for her own. It was a soft, gentle, meaningful kiss, usually not meant for giving when one of the participants was on their deathbed.

It was, indeed, the ultimate bittersweet ending, and Belle felt her closed eyes well up, ready to overflow with salty tears once they opened again. Stroking Ariel's silky hair, her mind became a blur as she lost herself in the kiss.

As the embrace lingered, Belle pressed her own body against Ariel's as gently as possible. With one of her last conscious thoughts, Ariel could swear she felt the pounding of Belle's heart against her own chest.

Then, she was finally enveloped by the approaching darkness...and knew no more.

Wishing that this moment would never end, it was all too soon that Belle felt Ariel become limp, as if her spirit had simply leapt out of her body. Her head sank back heavily against Belle's arm, sweet lips being pulled away, and then fell sharply to the side, going into repose.

Belle, faced with the raw reality of the situation, was left no choice but to open her eyes and deal with the harshest truth she had ever been forced to confront.

Ariel was gone.

Meanwhile, Ursula had borne witness to this entire scene, the top of her head just poking above water. At first, she had been furious since Gaston had broken their deal and stolen her most prized object from her. Then, as she surveyed the scene and saw Ariel finally perish, an idea came to her.

_Maybe I could use this to finally gain rulership of the world's waters. Triton would give ANYTHING to have his daughter back._ Smiling evilly, she sent a tentacle over to Ariel's corpse and ripped it from Belle's grasp, dragging it down to the ocean, ready to strike the ultimate deal.

Belle tried her best to hold on to Ariel, but it was all for naught: the tentacle was simply too strong. As Ariel's corpse was ripped from her grasp, Belle was overcome with the sort of heartbroken sorrow that only the premature death of one's soul mate brings.

"Please...No..." Belle pleaded with thin air. "Ariel...Come back...Please...I love you."

And it felt truly liberating to finally admit it. Unfortunately for Belle, this confession had come mere moments too late, and there was nothing that could be done. Realizing this, she finally allowed the desperate sobs and bitter tears to flow forth, even more so than she had when her father had died.

Had anyone been watching, it would have been easy to see what had happened: The soul and spirit of Belle Cartier had been completely destroyed.

* * *

Ursula, meanwhile, was looking for Triton, Ariel's lifeless body trailing along behind her. She soon spotted him, swimming directly at her.

"Ah, there you are!" she called to him. "Where have you been? There's something you should see." And she showed him Ariel's corpse.

"No..." gasped Triton. "My daughter...What have you DONE TO HER?!" he raged.

"Not a thing," answered Ursula honestly. "I simply helped her to live out her dream and this is what happened. Of course, you know that there are very few limits to what my magic can do. I'll make you a deal. You agree to crown me Queen of the Seas and I give you back your daughter. What do you say, Daddy Dearest?" And a contract for the deal appeared from thin air directly in front of Triton.

Without hesitation, and putting his daughter before himself, Triton leveled his trident with the dotted line on the scroll. In a flash of blinding light, his signature appeared in the proper place. With Ursula cackling madly, Triton's crown and trident disappeared from his possession, to reappear in Ursula's. Immediately, Triton was transformed into one of the poor souls that decorated Ursula's Garden.

"And now I possess ULTIMATE POWER!" yelled Ursula. "But let it not be said that Ursula does not honor her bargains." With that, she pointed the trident at Ariel's wound, which immediately healed itself. With a final burst of magic, Ariel felt life welling up within herself again. She looked around to get her bearings and caught sight of Ursula wearing Triton's crown and holding his trident. Fear built up inside her as she looked around for Triton, and eventually laid eyes on a creature who could only be her father. She swam over to him and sobbed,

"Oh, Daddy. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to cause this much trouble."

"No time to worry about that now..." muttered Triton. "Go to Atlantica! Get help!" Ariel hastened to obey.

"Bring all the help you want," laughed Ursula at Ariel's retreating form. "You can't stop me now! NO ONE CAN STOP ME!" And with that, she grew to 20 times her normal size, and made her way to the surface.

"Time to check on that poor unfortunate soul I left on the beach..."

* * *

Back on said beach, Belle's face was buried in her hands, and she was doing some serious crying. Her body wracked itself with sobs, each slightly louder and much more desperate than the last. The pain and sorrow coursing through her now was almost unbearable. Ariel, the mermaid who had saved her, the woman she loved more than anyone else left alive in her life, was gone, never to return.

"Hurts like the dickens, don't it?"

The evil voice filled her entire being, and she felt a surprising emotion overcome her...barely controlled, frenzied rage. Beginning to see red at the edges of her vision, she turned towards the source of the voice and saw a repulsive woman over sixty feet tall, and at least three times as wide.

"And you must be the one who made Ariel jump through all those hoops," she said through gritted teeth.

"Did not," corrected the colossal woman. "She came to me of her own free will, and she paid the price of admission. Ursula always keeps her deals."

"Well, Ursula," snarled Belle, "surely you know how I'm feeling at the moment."

"Of course, my dear girl," chuckled Ursula. "You feel so hurt and lonely, you could die...in other words, perfect material for a breakup song. I can oblige with the dying part," she offered snidely. "The cold calm of death can end all pain, or so I'm told."

"Please do," challenged Belle. "I'd love nothing more than to die right now. I might even see Ariel again. But when Belle Cartier makes a promise, by God, she damn well keeps it. And I promise to you right here and right now that if I am to die today, I'm taking you to Hell with me!"

Ursula could not suppress a hearty belly laugh at these words.

"Oh, I love it when my victim has a fighter's streak," she said to Belle. "It makes the kill that much more..._fun. _You're welcome to try, dearie."

"No..." Belle reminded herself. "Either do...or do not. There is no try." With that, she picked up Gaston's hunting knife and readied herself for a fight.

_You got the touch!  
You got the power...!_

_YEAH!_

As Belle stood there, one of Ursula's tentacles shot out of the water towards her. She deftly dodged it and jumped atop it.

"What?" cried Ursula, and made a flicking motion that would send Belle flying out towards open water...or would have, had Ursula's girth not been in the way. Belle landed on Ursula's left shoulder, but the momentum carried her off the shoulder and sent her tumbling down Ursula's back.

_After all is said and done  
You never walk, you never run  
You're a winner_

_You've got the moves, you know the streets  
Break the rules, take the heat  
You're nobody's fool_

Just before Belle hit the black material that made up Ursula's dress, she managed to find a handhold on a skin imperfection that would normally have been microscopic, and her fall stopped.

_You're at your best when the going gets rough  
You've been put to the test, BUT IT'S NEVER ENOUGH!_

_You got the touch!  
You got the power!  
When all hell's breaking loose,  
You'll be right in the eye of the storm!_

_You got the heart!  
You got the motion!  
You know that when things get too tough,  
You got the touch!_

And with Ursula's tentacles thrashing all around her, but unable to reach her, Belle slowly began to climb up Ursula's back.

_Now I know how Wander felt in Shadow of the Colossus_, Belle could not prevent herself from thinking, as she remembered another of her favorite stories from back in France. She tucked the dagger inside her apron and continued her climb.

_You never bend, you never break  
You seem to know just what it takes  
You're a fighter!_

_It's in the blood, it's in the will  
It's in the mighty hands of steel  
When you're standing your ground_

As Belle finally reached the top of Ursula's head, she made her way to the front and began to climb down her forehead.

_And you never give in when your back's to the wall  
Gonna fight to the end AND YOU'RE TAKING IT ALL!_

Belle made her way to the point where she was standing on the inside edge of one of Ursula's eyelids. Thankfully, Ursula was so colossal, Belle could not be seen.

_You got the touch!  
You got the power!  
When all hell's breaking loose,  
You'll be riding the eye of the storm!_

_You got the heart!  
You got the motion!  
You know that when things get too tough,  
You got the touch!_

Taking the dagger from her apron, she held it high above her head, gathered her strength, and sank it deep into Ursula's eyeball, dragging it around to cause more damage. Ursula screamed from the pain and, blinded by it, dropped the trident, which fell into the water and shrank back to its normal size.

Belle saw it land, and an idea came to her:

_"If you find yourself at a great height above the open water," the old sailor informed her, "try to align yourself so you are perpendicular to the water, enter the fetal position, and exit said position just as you hit the water. The impact of your feet going under will break the surface tension and let you escape your journey without serious injury."_

"Wish me luck, Prince Eric," she said to the sky, and made her way back to Ursula's left shoulder as quickly as possible. Sliding down her arm towards the open water, Belle made a jump into thin air just as she reached the tip of Ursula's middle finger.

_YOU'RE FIGHTING FIRE WITH FIRE!  
YOU KNOW YOU GOT THE TOUCH!_

As Belle soared gracefully through the open air, she curled herself up into a ball, and felt herself drop like a stone. Just before she impacted the water, she uncoiled, just as Eric had told her, and his advice worked: she came through the dive unharmed. Surfacing quickly, she swam over to the trident and grabbed a hold of it.

_You're at your best when the going gets rough  
You've been put to the test, BUT IT'S NEVER ENOUGH!_

_You got the touch!  
You got the power...!  
_

_YEAH!_

Thinking of Ariel, and only Ariel, Belle leveled the trident with Ursula's chest.

"For Ariel...and anyone else you've wronged in your life...BURN IN HELL!" she yelled at the top of her lungs.

_You got the touch!  
You got the power...!  
TOUCH!_

The trident began to glow with a blinding white light, which slowly resolved itself at the tip of the middle prong into a beam of deadly energy, piercing Ursula through the chest. Ursula's scream of agony was strangely satisfying to Belle as she collapsed back under the ocean's surface, dissolving into a cloud of smoke, which quickly dissipated.

Ding-dong, the wicked witch was dead.

* * *

As Ursula faded into oblivion, Triton felt himself return to normal: He was King of the Seas once again. He checked for his crown...there it was. But he was still missing his trident. As he looked around, he saw its silhouette just above the water's surface, being held by...someone. He started swimming up to go get it.

Belle was still staring at the spot where Ursula had been, wondering how she had been able to do what she had just done.

"Excuse me, miss," came a strong yet gentle voice from behind her and slightly to her right. "I do believe you're holding something of mine." Belle turned around to see who it was and was confronted by a powerful-looking merman with white hair and a long, flowing beard of the same color. Belle saw a crown perched on his head, so he was obviously royalty of some kind.

"Forgive me, Your Highness," she requested, "but I have a feeling this would go a lot better if I had solid ground to stand on."

"Of course, my dear," acquiesced Triton, and he helped her to shore. When at last she was able to stand up, she could not resist asking:

"May I have your name, Your Majesty?"

"I am Triton," he answered proudly, "descendant of Poseidon and King of the Seas."

"Aha..." mused Belle. "Then this trident is yours." And, descending to one knee, she held the trident out to him, as if she was presenting a special sword at a formal ceremony. Triton took it, and as he did, he felt his old strength returning to him in spades.

"Miss," he began, "you have done a greater service for the mer world than any resident of it in history. For killing Ursula, we are forever in your debt. We shall tell your story until the end of time. But stories are much more magical when the main character has a name. What is yours?"

"I am Belle Cartier, Your Grace," replied Belle, curtsying deeply.

"Miss Belle..." Triton admonished gently. "You bow to no merperson." And with that, he gave a deep and respectful bow. "Your bravery, nerve, and valor shall serve as an inspiration to my kingdom. I also must take note of the purity in your heart and spirit. It is because of this that you were able to command my trident: it only responds to the ruler of the seas, but barring that, those it deems worthy to wield it."

"Forgive my flippance, Sir," requested Belle, "but is that your trident or the hammer they call Mjolnir?" Triton laughed, the first time he had done so in a long while.

"They were both forged from the same star by the same person," he chuckled, "so I can understand how you would confuse the two."

"Speaking of the trident," began Belle, "how did Ursula come to hold it and your crown?"

"I must confess I made a deal," answered Triton sadly, "my position as King of the Seas in exchange for my daughter's life. But Ursula was always a tricky one, and, unfortunately, I remember nothing from when I signed the contract until I turned back to myself. ...I know not whether Ariel is alive."

"I remember Ursula saying that she always keeps her deals," thought Belle aloud. "If she truly was that skilled, then Ariel may yet live."

"In which case," promised Triton, "I swear on the River Styx that I will keep searching until I find her...dead or alive, and wherever she may be."

"May I request," dared Belle, "that when you find her, can you bring her to me? I love her dearly, and if she turns out to be dead, I wish to say a proper farewell."

"Your wish is my command," said Triton humbly.

"Thank you, Your Lordship," sighed Belle, "for your time and the information, as well as your generosity. Also, I am truly sorry for any trouble I may have caused you."

"Miss Cartier," answered Triton, placing a hand on her cheek. "You have nothing to apologize for. Nobody is truly to blame here; Ursula was the one who twisted the situation to her advantage and put us all through this. You know...now that I think about it...I may not have been entirely right about humans. I thought they were nothing but trouble."

"For the most part, they are," chuckled Belle.

"Maybe," continued Triton, "but if there are any more like you among them, there is, indeed, hope for your species. I would say more, but I have a mermaid to find. When she is found, I will send word."

"Thank you again," said Belle, "and fare thee well. Perchance we'll meet again someday."

Triton replied with another deep bow, and slowly made his exit. Once he was out of sight, Belle began the short, but lonely walk back to the mansion. She would love to see her wait staff again, but she knew the mansion would feel empty and worthless without Ariel in it with her.

_Oh, Ariel, why?_ she thought sadly as she reentered her bedroom, her eyes watering again. _Why did you have to be so perfect? _And with this thought, she collapsed on her bed and began to properly mourn the loss of her first true love.

_Damn it, Ariel, I love you. I just want to see you again..._

* * *

Back under the water's surface, Triton was slowly making his way back to Atlantica to deliver the news when he saw her: Ariel was leading a cavalry of soldiers straight at him.

"Ariel?!" he cried out, overjoyed. "Is it really you?!"

"Daddy!" she yelled. "You're OK! Does that mean...?!"

"Yes," Triton reassured her as they embraced desperately. "Ursula is dead...by your Belle's hand."

"What?!" cried Ariel. "_Belle_ killed her?!"

"Love, I now understand," admitted Triton, "is something even humans seem to believe is worth fighting for."

"Especially Belle," pointed out Ariel. "Her heart is true, and I want to spend the rest of my days with her."

"I must warn you," began Triton, "if you choose that life, all you and Belle will be able to truly rely on is each other. As you no doubt experienced, there are a great number of people in the world who would deride you and Belle, and turn their backs on you simply because of the nature of your relationship. They say that your love cannot be real because your bodies are the same."

"Don't remind me," shivered Ariel. "One of them hated it enough to kill me. But as long as I'm with Belle, I'll always be happy, because she loves me for who I am, and vice versa."

"You truly do see with your heart, don't you?" asked Triton, laughing. Ariel only smiled.

"Well, I must say, I have a lot to think about," confessed Triton. "I hope you can understand that. But you've definitely given me reason to let you have your dream."

"Thank you, Daddy," squeaked Ariel, planting a kiss on her father's cheek. "That's all I've ever wanted."

"Come, my daughter," requested Triton, "let us return to Atlantica and share the good news with everyone." Ariel complied, swimming at her father's side with the cavalry at their backs.

_Don't worry, Belle,_ she thought with all her might, **willing** Belle to hear her. _I will see you again soon. I have to hope...I have to believe..._

* * *

A/N: Yep. DING DONG, THE WICKED WITCH IS DEAD! Now all that's left is to bring the two soul mates together at last. Will it happen? Find out next time.

TBC...


	6. Chapter 6: A Human's Love

**Chapter 6: A Human's Love**

Belle solemnly walked down to the beach, almost in a trance, as had become ritual for her since the day Ariel had died in her arms a week ago. King Triton's words of comfort that day had helped to give Belle some hope that Ariel was alive, but as she reached the water's edge, she realized her inner realist was gaining ground over her hopeful side.

_Move on with your life, Belle: If Ariel's dead, she's not going to want you to spend the rest of your life grieving for her._

So she had thrown herself back into her music with a kind of passion rarely exhibited by anyone, and the distraction had helped somewhat. The fans she had met from her musical appearances had also provided a nice distraction; Belle very much enjoyed their conversations. She had even spent some time composing some of her own pieces, something she had never done before.

But, once a day, Belle could not prevent herself from coming down to the beach and singing at least one song, hoping, praying, **willing** Ariel to hear her, if she were alive. She remembered the first time as if it had only just happened:

_"I'd give anything to hold you in my arms again, Ariel," Belle sobbed quietly. "I miss you, and I need you. I've tried looking all the places you're not. I just can't find the place where you are. Maybe if I were to wish...very...very...hard..."_

Come out, moon  
Come out, wishing star  
Come out, come out  
Wherever you are

_The tears flowed freely from Belle's eyes as she let the lyrics carry out across the ocean:_

I'm out here in the dark  
All alone and wide awake  
Come and find me

I'm empty and I'm cold  
And my heart's about to break  
Come and find me

I need you to come here and find me  
'Cause without you, I'm totally lost  
I've hung a wish on every star  
It hasn't done much good so far

I can only dream of you  
Wherever you are

_Belle now clutched her hands in a position resembling prayer in front of her sternum, directly below her chin. She directed her gaze heavenward, and thought she saw a cloud which bore a scary resemblance to Ariel. She reached out to it desperately, as if by reaching out to it, she hoped to take flight to the cloud and lose herself in it._

I'll hear you laugh  
I'll see you smile  
I'll be with you

_A sob escaped past Belle's lips at this point._

Just for a while

But when the morning comes  
And the sun begins to rise  
I will lose you

_Belle brought her hands back to herself, but her gaze did not leave the sky._

Because it's just a dream  
When I open up my eyes  
I will lose you

I used to believe in forever  
But forever's too good to be true  
I've hung a wish on every star  
It hasn't done much good so far

I don't know what else to do  
Except to try and dream of you  
And wonder...if you're dreaming, too  
Wherever you are

_"I love you, Ariel," she said quietly to the wind, "and I hope you're OK. I just want to see you again..._

Wherever...you...are..."

_Letting the sobs come forth freely, Belle slowly made her way back into the mansion. Her wait staff offered her what little comfort they could, for which Belle was grateful, but she knew only death or Ariel's return would heal this wound._

Today, Belle still held on to a thin thread of hope that Ariel would, indeed, return, but that hope was dwindling more and more by the day. She was beginning to think that death would be the only way away from this pain. And it was this feeling that had inspired her to choose today's song. With a melancholy look upon her face, Belle began the lyrics:

_I'm so tired of being here  
Suppressed by all my childish fears  
And if you have to die  
I wish that you would just die  
'Cause your presence still lingers here  
And it won't leave me alone_

_These wounds won't seem to heal  
This pain is just too real  
There's just too much that time cannot erase_

_If you'd cry, I'd wipe away all of your tears  
If you'd scream, I'd fight away all of your fears  
And I'd hold your hand through all of our years  
'Cause you'll always have...all of me_

A lone tear began to make its way down Belle's face as she continued along.

_You used to captivate me  
By your resonating light  
Now I'm bound by the life you left behind_

_Your face, it haunts  
My once pleasant dreams  
Your voice, it chased away  
All the sanity in me_

_These wounds won't seem to heal  
This pain is just too real  
There's just too much that time cannot erase_

_If you'd cry, I'd wipe away all of your tears  
If you'd scream, I'd fight away all of your fears  
And I'd hold your hand through all of our years  
'Cause you'll always have...all of me_

Another tear joined the first as Belle began to end the lyrics:

_I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone  
But though I'm so lonely  
You've been with me all along_

___If you'd cry, I'd wipe away all of your tears  
If you'd scream, I'd fight away all of your fears  
And I'd hold your hand through all of our years  
'Cause you'll always have...all of me_

Drying her eyes, Belle looked out over the open ocean. Blowing a kiss, she said quietly, "I love you, Ariel." And with that said, she turned to return to the mansion.

* * *

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Belle, just as she had developed a ritual of coming down to the beach and singing to Ariel once a day, Ariel had also developed a ritual...of coming to her singing rock (the rock behind which she had hidden the day she saved Belle's life) and watching her sing. Belle's voice was like tonic for Ariel, and she could not get enough of it. Today, as with every time she had watched Belle, she had wanted nothing more than to call out to her and let her know she was alive, and still loved her. But due to her father's request...not an order, but a request...she could not do so until Triton had made his final decision.

Today, he and Sebastian had surreptitiously joined Ariel in watching Belle. They were paying more attention to Ariel, however...her body language, the little sighs they could catch...It was obvious to both of them that there was little they could do to change it. Ariel had found true love in Belle, and vice versa.

"They really do love each other, Sebastian," mused Triton quietly. "I almost see shades of myself and Athena in them."

"Oh, no offense, my liege," chuckled Sebastian, "but dose two got you and Queen Atena beat by several nautical miles, mon."

"You really think so?" Triton replied, also chuckling.

"I'll say only dis," countered Sebastian. "Never in my life have I seen Ariel so happy as she was during the time she and Miss Belle were togedder."

"I know," sighed Triton.

"And if Ariel has taught me anyting," continued Sebastian, "it's dat children gotta be free to lead deir own lives."

"Very true," said Triton sadly. "Then I guess there's just one problem left for me to deal with."

"And what's dat, Your Majesty?" asked Sebastian.

"How much I'm going to miss her," answered Triton, resigned to what he must do. Leveling his trident with the surface of the water, he pointed it towards Ariel, whose tail was in decent enough contact with the water. A golden stream of energy flowed from it, traveling along the water until it made contact with Ariel's tail.

Ariel started at the feeling of something brushing up against her caudal fin, and looked down to see the golden trail of magic. Glittering and sparkling, it traveled up her tail and started to cause a familiar sensation, though nowhere near as painful as when Ursula had put her through it. It was a pleasurable tingling, and Ariel's eyes grew wide and her face lit up as she felt the magic split her tail down the middle...she was gaining legs again. Following the trail of magic back to its source, she saw Triton and Sebastian waving her good-bye, with matching sad smiles on their faces.

"Thank you," she signed to them. "Come visit sometime," she called softly to them. They nodded and retreated under the ocean, feeling that if ever Ariel and Belle deserved a moment to themselves, it was now. By God, they'd earned it.

But the magic was not yet done. As Ariel slid off the rock into the calf-high surf, the glittering magic continued all around her body, expanding her seashell bra into a gorgeous, form-fitting, elegant purple dress, which came down to just above her ankles. Made of silk, it would later become Ariel's last physical connection to the world she had lived in for sixteen years of her life.

She began to slowly make her way towards Belle, who was just now turning back towards the mansion, and had yet to see her. Ariel wanted to call out to her, but she got the feeling a simple "Looking for me?" would not be good enough. So, she decided to catch Belle's attention the same way she had done so in the first place: her singing.

Meanwhile, Belle was beginning to make her way back up the beach to the street. She was trying to think of more ways to distract her from her heartbreak when she heard the thing she'd needed to hear the most, and which she'd thought she'd never hear again: the angelic singing voice of a certain redheaded mermaid.

_It...It can't be! Is she alive? Is she really this close to me right now?_ Slowly, cautiously, Belle began to turn around, towards Ariel's voice. When she completed the turn, she felt the kind of unabashed joy that only special moments like this could deliver overtaking her, filling her up, almost literally drowning her in its fullness. There was Ariel, walking slowly towards her, voice and all, arms outstretched...and she was singing her heart out.

_I'll be your dream, I'll be your wish, I'll be your fantasy  
I'll be your hope, I'll be your love, be everything that you need  
I love you more with every breath; truly, madly, deeply do  
I will be strong, I will be faithful, 'cause I'm counting on a new beginning  
A reason for living  
A deeper meaning, yeah..._

_I wanna stand with you on a mountain  
I wanna bathe with you in the sea  
I wanna lay like this forever  
Until the sky falls down on me_

Belle would have run, but she didn't want to ruin the moment by tripping over her own stiff legs. So she simply stretched her arms out wide and began to walk towards Ariel at the same deliberate pace. The look of complete shock had not changed one bit on her face. Ariel, seeing this, smiled as she continued her song:

_And when the stars are shining brightly in the velvet sky,  
I'll make a wish; send it to Heaven, then make you want to cry  
The tears of joy for all the pleasure and the certainty  
That we're surrounded by the comfort and protection of the highest powers  
In lonely hours  
The tears devour you_

Ariel and Belle finally came within arm's length of each other as Ariel ran through another chorus, and then:

_Oh, can't you see me, my love?  
You don't have to close your eyes  
'Cause I'm standing right before you  
All that you need will surely come..._

"Is it really you, Ariel?" asked Belle incredulously.

"You better believe it's me," replied Ariel warmly, and to prove it, wrapped Belle up in a close, strong, tender embrace. Belle felt the familiar warmth of Ariel's arms around her neck and returned the hug, picking Ariel up off the ground and spinning through a full rotation.

_I'll be your dream, I'll be your wish, I'll be your fantasy  
I'll be your hope, I'll be your love, be everything that you need  
I love you more with every breath; truly, madly, deeply do_  
_Oo-ooh..._

As Ariel finished her song, Belle was feeling happier than she had since before she'd even met Prince Benson. Relief that Ariel was real was at an all-time high, as well. It was too much for Belle to take, and she began to cry the tears of joy that Ariel had mentioned in her song. There was no point, she thought, in stopping them or pretending, and she simply let them come, hot and wet against her cheeks.

Ariel pulled away enough to look at Belle directly and saw the tears flowing.

"I know you're happier than you've ever been in your life," said Ariel, confused. "So why are you crying? Don't tell me something's wrong..."

"No," wept Belle, attempting to dry her eyes. "Emotional overload, that's all. I'm just so glad to see you again; so happy you're here, and so overjoyed that..."

"That I still love you?" Ariel offered with a sly smile.

"Yes," confirmed Belle, nodding gently. "And I still love you."

"Then," quipped Ariel, "don't you think we're a bit overdue for one of these?" And she leaned in, lips forward...she was angling for a kiss. Belle was hesitant to close the distance, afraid that something might happen and reveal this whole scene to be nothing more than a dream. She eventually did, however, make lip-to-lip contact...and Ariel did not vanish.

A thrill of excitement jolted through Belle's entire being at this fact, and she immediately made the kiss much more powerful, filling it with all the passion, love, and hunger she could muster, all of which were so raw and desperate, it surprised both women quite a bit. Ariel, of course, in her love for Belle, gave as good as she got...and even decided to kick it up a notch.

When Belle felt Ariel's lips part and something else join the fray, a kind of urge she had not felt for quite some time overtook her, and she parted her own lips, sending her tongue forward to greet Ariel's. The dance that ensued lasted for what felt like no time at all, and only ended because both women had to come up for air.

"As long as you believe, and are willing to work for it," reminded Ariel, "dreams will always find a way to come true. Mine just did." And with that, she let out a familiar, yet different, set of lyrics that Belle instantly picked up on.

_(Ariel)  
Now we can walk_

_(Belle)  
Now we can run  
_

_(Both)  
Now we can stay all day in the sun_

_(Belle)  
Just you and me_

_(Ariel)  
Now and forever, I'll be..._

_(Both)  
Part of your...world_

After a last embrace and kiss, Belle brought Ariel back to the mansion.

_I knew there was more to life than what I'd experienced before,_ thought Belle.

_See, Daddy? I told you there were good people up here,_ Ariel thought.

They were ready to live out their new life together, once and for all...come what may.

* * *

A/N: AND IT'S FINALLY HAPPENED! LOVE CONQUERS ALL! Ariel and Belle, together at last! Ain't it sweet? Hold your applause, though; there's still an epilogue that I'll be bringing to you.

To Be Concluded...


	7. Epilogue: Ariel & Belle

**Epilogue: Ariel & Belle**

"Hard to believe it's been a year since we met," mused Belle when she woke up one snowy day, "isn't it?" And she turned herself over so she was facing Ariel, who was smiling warmly at her.

"I lost track of the time," chuckled Ariel softly, "the day we finally came together." And both Ariel and Belle cast their minds back to that intense, amazing day.

"What a day that was, eh?" smirked Ariel slyly.

"I'm getting wet just thinking about it," winked Belle.

"How?" queried Ariel, confused...or so her face seemed to indicate. "We're not even in the water yet." And both women burst out laughing.

"Good one," Belle giggled, and moved in for a kiss. Ariel graciously obliged, surrendering herself to the love and passion that Belle exuded whenever they looked at each other. It only grew more intense as the kiss lengthened.

And, when both women finally let themselves go, the explorations that ensued were heavenly. Belle went first, so Ariel could pick up on what usually went down during encounters such as these, and when Ariel reached her zenith, the two would switch off, giving Ariel a chance to practice. As Belle hit her peak, Ariel would usually give her a little nudge, pushing her over the edge.

These such encounters had happened on many occasions since the day the two lovers had officially reunited, and the magic...and ecstasy...still had not lessened. And both Ariel and Belle had vowed never to let that happen.

* * *

Later on in the day, Belle and Ariel were out in the back yard, playing around in the snow. As Ariel grabbed a handful and threw it skyward, an idea occurred to Belle.

"You want to learn how to build a snowman?" she asked.

"Uh..." Ariel said slowly. "...I usually work with rock whenever I make a sculpture."

"Which is how often?" Belle wanted to know.

"It used to be quite often," answered Ariel, "but the last time I did it was before I met you. Also, I almost always had help from Flounder. He was especially good at it. I'm more of a painter, myself."

"Well," began Belle, "first of all, this isn't your traditional sculpture. It's not going to look like Michelangelo's _David_, by any stretch of the imagination. Second off, it's quite easy. Just do as I do." Ariel complied, and soon, she and Belle had matching snowmen, three sections tall, and as Belle had promised, it was definitely no _David_.

"Well," Ariel noted, patting her snowman's head, "you were right about it not being a masterpiece. But it doesn't even look like a man. Am I missing something?" And she stared, perplexed, at the lumpy snow sculpture.

"Well," chuckled Belle, "a face, for one. But other than that, no. It's supposed to look like that."

"Really?" said Ariel, surprised. Glancing back at the white statue, she added: "Funny-looking man."

Belle, taking no notice of Ariel's jibe, simply went to a pile of wood and took a small stick. Returning to her own creation, she stuck it in the snowman's side, thus giving it an arm.

"Ta-da!" she said proudly, gesturing grandly towards said addition. Ariel, however, had lost all interest in the snowman and was looking off to the west, towards a small flock of small, sky-blue birds with disproportionately large-sized, pure white wings.

"What are those?" Ariel asked in wonder, pointing to them. Belle looked, and immediately recognized them with a laugh. They were Swablu, relatively calm and quite people-friendly by nature. She said this to Ariel, who responded with a whimsical sigh.

Intrigued by their fluffy, cottony wings, which very greatly resembled clouds, Ariel slowly approached them...or would have, had Belle not put a hand on her shoulder and stopped her.

"They may be friendly," warned Belle, "but if you get too close, they'll scatter. Birds frighten easily, and Swablu are no exception. Instead of going to them, let them come to you." To demonstrate, Belle extended her index finger, parallel with the ground, making a perch, and gave a gentle whistle, inviting any cotton-winged would-be visitors over. Several of the Swablus' heads perked up, and one flew over to land on her finger. Belle, slowly extending her arm towards Ariel, gave a warm smile.

Ariel, amazed as she was, quickly realized she must make the same perch with her own finger. This, she did, and let loose a cheery whistle. The Swablu hopped over from Belle's finger, alighting on Ariel's.

"Now, very slowly, extend your arms," instructed Belle, as an idea came to her. Ariel obeyed, inching her arms to their fullest extent. The Swablu did not leave her finger. Belle let out another whistle, and went to go make a few more additions to her own snowman. Meanwhile, Ariel felt several more birds land on her arms and shoulders. She could not suppress a sweet smile; maybe some of them could talk, as well. One even landed on her head, making Ariel look as though she had donned a fluffy blue-white hat.

When Belle finally looked back towards Ariel, the sight that greeted her would not have been out of place on a social media website under "Funnies". She had to fight gallantly to prevent herself being reduced to gales of laughter, but it was a close thing. She did, however, manage to keep it to snorted giggles.

Ariel resembled nothing so much as a scarecrow, her fully-extended arms completely covered with Swablu. Five of them had even landed on top of one another, and the teetering tower was now atop Ariel's luscious red locks. The look of sheer terror on Ariel's face was precious, and absolutely priceless. Eyes darting every which way, Ariel was at a loss for what to do...if, indeed, she should do anything other than remain as statue-like as possible.

"Ummm...help?" she squeaked.

"OK," answered Belle. "But first, direct me to your painter's easel and palate. I have GOT to capture this."

_Bitch,_ Ariel thought, irritated, as Belle lost all control, and collapsed laughing on the ground. _You are SO gonna get it._

As Belle's laughter filled the air, the Swablu flock took flight. Ariel cowered a little as the birds departed in a flurry, trying to shield herself from the tiny yet sharp talons and the sound of fluttering.

When Belle finally regained control of herself enough to stand up, she was greeted by a wall of bitter cold impacting on her face as she was about to open her eyes. Wiping her face, Belle soon realized that Ariel had thrown a snowball at her, and it had found its mark. When she finally did open her eyes, she saw Ariel with a silly grin on her face, looking right at her and obviously fighting not to laugh.

"Not fair," whined Belle, though she, too, was having trouble keeping a straight face.

"Remember that next time you turn me into a scarecrow," declared Ariel, unable to hold back any longer, and bursting into gales of laughter.

Laughter that was soon interrupted by an incredibly accurate snowball.

"Oh..." purred Ariel, wiping the snow from her own face. "So that's how you want to play, eh?"

"You want to play?" challenged Belle. "I'm right here. Let's play." And Ariel wasted no time in darting after Belle, who led her on a merry chase through their own back yard.

It was a bundle (no pun intended, for Ariel and Belle were both bundled up) of fun, and soon, Ariel saw an opening to take Belle down. Using her powerful legs, she executed a picture-perfect flying tackle, and sailed straight for Belle.

"I've got you..." Ariel cried out, but at the very last possible moment, Belle simply dropped out of sight.

"...now?" she finished as she sailed clear over Belle and landed with a _thump_ in the snow, face-first. No sooner had she landed than Belle was rolling her over onto her back and straddling her. Both women started laughing, and did not wish to stop.

The only thing that stopped their laughter was Belle coming down and initiating a long, deep kiss, during which they rolled around in the snow. When it finally broke, Belle remembered something: her idea from earlier.

"Hey, Ariel," she whispered, "I just thought of something."

"What's that?" replied Ariel softly.

"There's one room in the mansion I haven't shown you yet," revealed Belle, "and that's the grand ballroom."

"You have a room full of balls?" asked Ariel, confused. "What kind of balls?"

"Not that, silly," giggled Belle. "A ballroom is a room where people hold formal dances. I've never used mine, because I never had a reason to."

"But now you do?" guessed Ariel, already having some idea where this conversation was going.

"Yes," confirmed Belle. "Now I do, and I want to share a formal dance with you tonight. And to truly capture how a room like that feels, I wish for each of us to wear a formal gown, of which I have plenty. What do you say?"

Ariel said nothing; rather, her response was another kiss, deep and meaningful. Belle took that to mean yes.

She was right.

* * *

Over dinner that evening, Belle and Ariel were chatting about nothings, as they often did over dinner.

"So what's been your favorite performance thus far?" Belle asked.

"I have to go with the Royal Albert Hall," answered Ariel. "So much to be found in that show, and I've explored the _Titanic._ Not to mention, the people I met were amazing, and so accepting." Ariel was referring to the performance of the score from the movie "Titanic" at the Royal Albert Hall, in which she and Belle had taken part. Not long after Ariel had permanently become "Part of Belle's World", Belle had recruited Ariel to join her in her musical appearances as a singer. Ariel had taken to it very well, belting out a song simply called "Far From Heaven" in Queen Mary's Garden during an open-air appearance. Ariel had become an instant hit, and the UK simply could not get enough of the two.

At the Royal Albert Hall, Ariel had borne witness to a movie that had captured the hearts and minds of a generation, and loved it. When she had met Kate Winslet after the show proper, she had said that Jack and Rose reminded her of herself and Belle. Kate had been a little taken aback, but in the end, she had encouraged Ariel to move forward with the relationship. Ariel had also unintentionally let slip that she was a mermaid by birth. Catching her slip, she had blushed and turned to run off when Kate put a comforting hand on her shoulder, saying Ariel's secret was safe with her.

Belle had had a similar experience when she talked to James Cameron, the "captain" of sorts.

"That was an amazing show, wasn't it?" agreed Belle. "But I have to go with the performance we both did with Bob Dylan. Such powerful songs from that man."

"Also true," conceded Ariel. "I guess we can agree to disagree."

"Indeed," said Belle. Then something hit her:

"Holy Romulus, it's late! We better get our dresses on; he'll be here soon."

"'He'?" echoed Ariel suspiciously. "Who is this 'he'?"

"He's a friend of mine," answered Belle honestly. "I met him on the music circuit, through another man whose band I played with once. There's nothing between us, so no worries there."

"Who says I was worried?" laughed Ariel.

"I heard the suspicion in your voice," countered Belle. "Now, let's go get changed." With that, she set down her silverware and got up from the table. Ariel did the same. She made her way to her room and threw open her closet. Shuffling through it, she eventually found a number that really caught her eye. It was a pale sea-green full-length dress with pouf-y shoulders. The color reminded Ariel of her family, who, recently, had paid them a visit. Thinking of her family warmed Ariel's heart, and she tried on the dress, which fit perfectly, and really brought out her eye color and skin tone. She decided not to accessorize, save for a single sea lotus which matched the color on the dress perfectly.

Going over to the full-length mirror, Ariel examined herself. Nothing was out of place; she was ready for a wonderful night.

Meanwhile, Belle already knew exactly what dress she was going to wear. Going to her closet, she pulled it out: a bright yellow strapless dress with matching three-quarter gloves. Putting them on, she immediately set to work on her hair. Before long, her hair had been parted in the front, flowing down into curls on either side of her face, which ended at the swell of her breasts. The back of her hair, in the meantime, was also a similar length, with the top part pulled up into a bun, and the rest flowing downward to match the curls up front.

Giving herself a quick once-over in her full-length mirror, she could not help but feel satisfied: When Belle Cartier cleaned up, she cleaned up good. Her work done, she went back down to the foyer to wait for Ariel and her guest. As she descended the grand staircase, there came a knock at the door. She walked over to it and opened it, revealing a man only slightly taller than herself, with a very boyish face and a chubby build. He was wearing a white beret with a green vest under a white blazer with white pants. Thank God it was nighttime, otherwise he would have been almost indistinguishable from the snow that surrounded him.

"Hi, there," she greeted warmly. "Please, come in."

"Thank you," he replied, and did as he had been told. When Belle shut the door, he said,

"So, great to see you again." As he finished, he took her hand and gently kissed it.

"Likewise," responded Belle honestly. "I guess Mike was right about you."

"You met Mike?" asked the man. "He taught me everything I know about drumming, but he's forgotten more about it than I ever will. Anyways, direct me to the Steinway and I'll make sure you and your woman have the time of your lives tonight."

"That probably sounded a lot better in your head," laughed Belle.

"It did," chuckled the man.

"Door behind the grand staircase," directed Belle, "take a right, and it's the door at the end of the hall."

"Much obliged, milady," he answered, and made his way there.

Not long after he had left, Ariel made her grand entrance. Belle saw her just as she began to descend the staircase. She did so daintily, very ladylike, and looked stunning the whole way down. Just as she reached the bottom, Belle walked over to her and took her by the hand.

"Well, hello, beautiful," she said in a smoky voice, and kissed Ariel's hand.

"You're not so bad yourself," countered Ariel in a matching whisper.

"Shall we?" asked Belle, gesturing to the door that would lead them to the ballroom.

"Lead the way, my love," requested Ariel. Belle obliged, not letting go of Ariel's hand all the way to the ballroom. When they walked inside, Ariel was greeted with a truly majestic chamber. Large and rounded, there were windows everywhere stretching from floor to ceiling. Speaking of the ceiling, it was decorated with a sky painting, dotted with little cherubim here and there. There was a white tile dance area surrounded by mahogany wood flooring. The wall itself was white marble, and a spectacular golden chandelier hung from the ceiling.

Not far away from the door, there was a pure white Steinway grand piano, at which Ariel saw a man seated. He looked up when the door shut, saw them, and made his way over to them with a gentle smile.

"Is this the luckiest woman on Earth?" he said to Belle of Ariel.

"I must be," Ariel shot back, "because THIS wonderful woman somehow fell in love with me."

"I can see why she did," countered the man, looking Ariel up and down. "You look absolutely amazing. No disrespect to Miss Cartier, but still."

"Oh, you dog," laughed Belle. "This is Ariel, crown princess of the realm of Atlantica."

"Atlantica?" asked the man in wonder. "Then that would make you..."

"A mermaid, yes," confirmed Ariel. "My father is King Triton, descendant of Poseidon."

"Then that, in turn, would make you a cousin of Percy Jackson," chuckled the man. "That is amazing."

Belle and Ariel both laughed, fully understanding the literary reference.

"Oh, where are my manners?" the man reprimanded himself. "I haven't even introduced myself. Lucas Lynch, drummer, pianist, and occasional singer on the worldwide music circuit, at your service." And he bowed deeply, then took and kissed Ariel's hand. "You can call me Luke; most people do."

"Very nice to meet you, Luke," answered Ariel warmly.

"The privilege, Your Highness," replied Luke humbly, "is all mine. Now..." And he gestured to the dance area. "...Your Majesties...whenever you are ready." And he retreated to the piano. Belle, meanwhile, led Ariel out to the center of the dance floor.

"Why did he pluralize 'Your Majesty'?" Ariel could not stop herself asking.

"I don't think he knows we're not married," guessed Belle. "Not that I'd mind marrying you."

"And I wouldn't mind it, either," agreed Ariel. "You know what? Let's do it."

"Get married?" asked Belle. "Oh, I'd be honored to. But there's a whole process we'll have to go through..."

"We'll worry about that later," reassured Ariel. "For now, let's just enjoy this moment."

"Agreed," concurred Belle. And she flashed Luke a thumbs-up, which was his signal to begin. Cracking his knuckles, he began to play a very gentle melody of his own composition, whistling a harmonic rhythm over it. Immediately, Ariel and Belle began to dance, easily slipping into a slow, easy waltz. Luke watched this and smiled as he began lyrics which a dear friend of his had written for him when he had gotten the request to do this from Belle.

_Once upon a time  
True as it can be  
Started out as friends  
But that's not where it ends  
As was destiny_

_Didn't seem so strange  
How easily they fell  
Both a little scared  
Neither one prepared  
Ariel & Belle_

The two women, lost in the dance, only had eyes for each other. The visible world had blotted out, leaving only the music and the love of their life, with whom they were dancing right now. Luke's gentle voice washed over them as he continued to play:

_Never dared believe  
Never such surprise  
Never have before  
Have they felt so sure  
In another's eyes_

_Once upon a time  
Suited perfectly  
Both the sea and land  
They go hand-in-hand  
Mermaid and Beauty_

_Certain as their love  
Has no parallel  
Once upon a time  
Two worlds did combine  
Ariel & Belle_

The women now slowly brought the dance to a close, looking deeply into each other's eyes.

_Once upon a time  
Two worlds did combine  
Ariel...and Belle_

As the last word left Luke's lips, Ariel captured Belle in a kiss to rival any other the two had shared. Luke smiled warmly when he saw this, and as he brought the song to its end, the kiss was broken. Luke, proud and happy to have given these two lovely ladies this moment, which they, hopefully, would remember forever, broke into sincere applause as he walked over to them.

"Thank you so much for inviting me into your home," he said gratefully to Belle.

"Don't mention it," answered Belle.

"And thank you for your time and music," gushed Ariel. "I see why Belle thinks so highly of you; I'd be honored to perform with you any time. Did you write that song?"

"The honor would be mine, Miss Ariel," replied Luke happily. "And I wrote the melody, but the honor of writing the lyrics goes to my dear friend Tiffany. Anyway, if ever you wish me to perform with you, you need only say the word. Normally, this is the point where we all sit down for a chat, and I crack open a bottle of wine. Unfortunately, I must now take my leave; I have an engagement on Baker Street that I simply cannot miss."

"At the Holmes Museum?" asked Belle with a jokingly raised eyebrow.

"No," answered Luke. "It's a bit farther down the street. But I would like to see you both again someday, under more casual circumstances."

"Of course," agreed Belle. "Our home is always open to you. You are welcome to visit anytime you so desire." Ariel indicated her concurrence via an emphatic nod. Luke gave a grateful bow and kissed each woman's hand in turn.

"Well, hopefully, we meet again sooner rather than later," he said. "Ariel...may I simply call you Ariel?"

"Of course," responded Ariel. "I've always found formal titles to be boring, anyway."

"Amen to that," laughed Luke. "Ariel, it was lovely to meet you."

"The pleasure was mine," replied Ariel, giving a polite curtsy.

"Belle," continued Luke, "always a joy to see you. Safety and peace, my friend."

"Upon you, as well," replied Belle with a silly grin, completing the reference to a book series Luke thoroughly enjoyed, and had recommended to Belle. Then, her competitive streak shining through, she threw another literary reference his way:

"May the Force be with you, Luke."

"And also with you, Belle," laughed Luke, completing the reference to his favorite book series. "Ladies...fare thee well for now." With a final wave and jovial smile, he made his exit.

"Such a wonderful young man," marveled Ariel once Luke was out of sight.

"Isn't he?" agreed Belle. "You know, if not for you, I'd probably date him," she added with a raised eyebrow.

"I have a feeling you'd have some competition," joked Ariel. "Regardless, I had a wonderful time tonight. I enjoyed myself so much...more than I have since Daddy lifted the music ban on Atlantica."

"Huh?" queried Belle, confused.

"That's a story for another time," replied Ariel.

"I'll hold you to that," warned Belle. "I'd also love to do this again, and soon. Maybe even at a full-blown function. What do you say?"

As with earlier in the day, Ariel's answer was a deep kiss, meaningful and heartfelt.

"I love you, Ariel," whispered Belle, once the kiss was broken.

"And I love you, Belle," replied Ariel in a matching whisper. With that, Ariel led Belle up to their bedroom. Outside, the Swablu were settling in for the night: The sun had completely set, and night had fallen. A soft snow began to fall. Somewhere in the distance, the cry of Ho-oh echoed across the United Kingdom...another day had greeted its inevitable end.

_**But for Ariel and Belle...this was only the beginning.**_

* * *

A/N: And with those words, this journey has come to its close. Thank you all for reading, and for coming on this journey with me. Special thanks to Crazy Cat Lady for putting up with all my BS as she fought to make this story better. For this effort, I have seen fit to include a full credits list. Here it is now:

Writer/Producer/Director  
Casey Gallagher

Beta Reader  
Tiffany Keane

Inspired by  
Ariel & Belle  
Ariel & Belle: A Human in Atlantica  
by Tiffany Keane  
and  
Beauty and the Mermaid  
by Xavier Haven

Voice Cast in order of appearance:

**Belle Cartier  
**Paige O'Hara

**Philippe  
**Frank Welker

**Maurice Cartier  
**Rex Everhart

**Doctor**  
Rob Paulsen

**LeFou**  
Jesse Corti

**Lumiere**  
Jerry Orbach

**Cogsworth**  
David Ogden Stiers

**Mrs. Potts**  
Angela Lansbury

**Chip**  
Bradley Michael Pierce

**Eric**  
Corey Burton

**Ariel  
**Jodi Benson

**Flounder**  
Parker Goris

**Sebastian  
**Samuel E. Wright

**Scuttle  
**Buddy Hackett

******Flotsam and Jetsam**  
Paddi Edwards

**Gaston Cousteau  
**Richard White

**Traveling Hobo  
**Ben Wright

**Themselves  
**Dream Theater  
(James LaBrie  
Jordan Rudess  
John Myung  
Mike Mangini  
John Petrucci)

**Neil Garrett**  
John DiMaggio

**Aquata  
**Grey DeLisle

**Attina**  
Kari Wahlgren

**Adella**  
Tara Strong

**Andrina**  
Tara Strong

**King** **Triton**  
Jim Cummings

**Harold the Seahorse**  
Will Ryan

**Ursula**  
Pat Carroll

**Vanessa**  
Jodi Benson

**Luke Lynch  
**Casey Gallagher

Music in order of appearance:

"Belle"  
Written by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken  
Performed by Paige O'Hara, Corey Burton, and the Eastbourne Town Choir  
© 1991 Disney

"Part of Your World"  
Written by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken  
Performed by Jodi Benson  
© 1989 Disney

"Part of Your World" (Reprise)  
Written by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken  
Performed by Jodi Benson  
© 1989 Disney

"The Best of Times"  
Written by Mike Portnoy, Jordan Rudess, John Myung, and John Petrucci  
Performed by Paige O'Hara and Dream Theater  
© 2009 Ytse Jams, Inc.  
Dream Theater appears courtesy of Roadrunner Records

"Under the Sea"  
Written by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken  
Performed by Samuel E. Wright and the Catfish Club Band  
© 1989 Disney

"Belle" (Reprise #1)  
Written by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken  
Performed by Jodi Benson  
© 1991 Disney

"Poor Unfortunate Souls"  
Written by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken  
Performed by Pat Carroll  
© 1989 Disney

"Be Our Guest"  
Written by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken  
Performed by Jerry Orbach and the Servants' Choir  
© 1991 Disney

"Belle" (Reprise #2)  
Written by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken  
Performed by Paige O'Hara  
© 1991 Disney

"Kiss the Girl"  
Written by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken  
Performed by Samuel E. Wright and the Lagoon Choir  
© 1989 Disney

"The Touch (2007)"  
Written by Lenny Macaluso and Stan Bush  
Performed by Stan Bush  
© 2007 Scotti Bros. Records  
Stan Bush appears courtesy of L.A. Records

"Wherever You Are"  
Written by Carl Johnson  
Performed by Paige O'Hara  
© 1997 Disney

"My Immortal"  
Written by Amy Lee, Ben Moody, and David Hodges  
Performed by Paige O'Hara  
© 2003 Wind-up Records  
Evanescence appears courtesy of Concord Music Group

"Truly Madly Deeply"  
Written by Darren Hayes and Daniel Jones  
Performed by Jodi Benson  
© 1997 Rough Cut Productions  
Savage Garden appears courtesy of Columbia Records

"Part of Your World" (Finale)  
Written by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken  
Performed by Jodi Benson and Paige O'Hara  
© 1989 Disney

"Ariel & Belle"  
Music by Alan Menken  
Lyrics by Tiffany Keane  
Performed by Casey Gallagher  
© 1991 Disney, 2010 CC Entertainment, 2013 Insanity Works Productions

"Ariel & Belle" (Outro Version)  
Music by Alan Menken  
Lyrics by Tiffany Keane  
Performed by Casey Gallagher and Tiffany Keane  
© 1991 Disney, 2010 CC Entertainment, 2013 Insanity Works Productions

Soundtrack available now on Infinity Records

_**And Ariel and Belle were to live happily ever after...**_

**_END_**


End file.
